


More Than A Spark

by FoolsParadise



Category: Hamilton - Miranda (Broadway Cast) RPF
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Mights contain some smut at some point, Reader-Insert, baker - Freeform, musical theater, people with no chill
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2019-10-11 16:02:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 41
Words: 159,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17450036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoolsParadise/pseuds/FoolsParadise
Summary: After reconnecting with an old friend, you might be getting more than you have bargained for.A Lin-Manuel Miranda/Reader Story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys,
> 
> I have previously uploaded this story but had to delete my account and long story short, I am back again. So, I hope you'll once again grow to like this!
> 
> As mentioned before, I know that Lin is happily married and I adore his and Vanessa's relationship. So, this is pure fantasy!
> 
> Thanks for reading this :)

'Will you be able to make it on time?'  
You sighed as your phone notified you of another text message. Surely the last three you had sent would have made it clear that you were very well on your way, but also that you had missed one of your trains, which not only made you anxious but also 10 minutes late.

You started to type a reply, 'On my way. Like I said, might be 10 minutes late. Don’t stress!'  
A guy next to you bumped into your shoulder, but you had stopped taking offense a long time ago, there was simply not enough room in New York. The next stop was yours, so you quickly made your way out of the subway. Not that many people left the station with you, which was a plus, so you could finally take a deep breath. New York was your dream city, but you would have loved to be wealthy enough to take an Uber or a cab everywhere you had to go. 

Sadly this was not the way your life was at the moment, so you took another deep breath, adjusted the red beanie you were wearing and looked at your phone for directions. In your other hand, you clutched a box of the bakery you were currently working at, you had promised your friend your famous vanilla cupcakes after all. The theater was only a short walk away and once again you asked yourself why you had never visited him. 

Right, you had lost touch and after realizing that he was starring in one of Broadway’s biggest and most successful shows, you had thought that contacting him again would seem like a sad attempt at trying to get into the spotlight. Especially since he went down the artistic route after both of you had dreamed of something like this for the future. Well, now he was the successful actor and you were mostly happy with what you were doing.

“So this is where we’ll meet again,” you mumbled to yourself as you walked towards the Richard Rodgers Theater, already a small group of fans had assembled in front of what seemed to be the stage door. You gulped, how were you supposed to get in if so many people were watching you AND the door? Your nervousness grew as one of the girls waiting approached you, “Hey, are you here for the lottery tickets, too?”

“Uhm… no. I am actually meeting someone. Is this the stage door?” your question left her speechless for a minute.  
“Yes, but you cannot simply barge in. Trust me, people have tried!” her tone had grown a bit colder, but she was still smiling at you. Instead of answering you looked at your phone. Time to write another message!

'Help! I am standing in front of the stage door. If you want to see me AND cupcakes… rescue me!' As soon as you hit send, you could see that he had read your message, apparently, someone was awaiting your arrival!  
“So?” the girl asked you. She must have been a few years younger than yourself, and by now her face had taken on a quizzical look. 

“Just waiting,” you breathed out, nervously clutching the box in your hand. She shook her head and returned to her group of friends, they looked like college students and as if they had slept in front of the theater. You could make out sleeping bags behind them, you knew that the show was successful, but this was something completely new!

While you were still looking them over, some sort of commotion started behind you.  
“Oh my god! Look!!!” you heard a frantic screech, which finally made you turn around.

“Hey (Y/N)! I heard you needed help?” You let out a relieved breath. The stage door had opened and in its frame, you could finally see your former best friend. His smile was as blinding as ever and you threw caution in the wind and almost jumped into his arms. This earned you another gasp from the small crowd outside the theater. 

“Daveed! I missed you so much!” you mumbled against one of his typical Oakland sweaters while making sure that you did not squish the cupcakes. You could feel a laugh rumble through his body.  
“Let’s get you inside, ok?” he started to gently push you into the direction he came from, but before he shot the door again he addressed the people waiting. “Thanks for coming guys! I’ll see you later alright?” He received a few “Yeah”s and finally shut the door. 

“That is crazy. Wow,” you exclaimed, still overwhelmed by the obvious success of the show. Daveed smiled, almost bashful, and ushered you further into the theater.  
“I guess we have had some success.”  
“Some success? Hey, I tried buying tickets before, when I was still too much of a chicken to contact you again, but since everything is sold out or so expensive that I would have to sell all of my organs I would say that you have had quite the good run!”

“You could try the ticket lottery too?” he offered but immediately laughed. You were glad to see that his personality had not changed. You had lost contact three years ago, when he moved away and you were still stuck in your hometown, hoping to follow his path, but ultimately deciding to take on a much safer job. Still, you loved the theater and had spent the past few weeks listening to the soundtrack over and over again.

“So, my plan has failed. I even brought cupcakes to bribe you!” you dramatically sighed, but could not hide your smile. It was great to see him again, even if you had to wait many months to see him perform, it would be worth it.  
“I’ll see what I can do. Not tonight, but I will try to get you a spare ticket, ok? I’ll bribe Lin. Maybe you should do that. You are the one that is able to bake the most delicious things and that is one hell of a bribe!”

“How do you know that? Maybe I have turned out to be a horrible baker after all?” you asked and he lifted one of his eyebrows.  
“To be honest, I might have looked you up. Had to make sure that you were still the same you know? And you would not work for one of these small bakeries with extremely beautiful cakes if you were bad. Even your worst cakes had decent flavor!”

“Daveed, you really know how to deliver a compliment,” you snorted and he joined you. “I really have missed you,” you continued and he gave you a warm smile.  
“Me too munchkin. How’s your brother? All well with the family?”

Now it was your time to be a bit more somber. Daveed had originally been your brother’s best friend but you had immediately taken a liking to him. This did not go down well with your older brother, who accused Daveed of having feelings for you, which, for the record, was never the case for you or him. Since Daveed was also six years older than you, you had always seen another big brother in him. Apparently this never really registered with your biological brother, who started ignoring the both of you when Daveed gave small theater and musical workshops which you always attended.

“Bad topic?” his voice pulled you back from your thoughts.  
“You know how Stephan is. We do talk, but he has a wife now, which I do not like thanks for asking, and they have moved to Seattle. I do get a call from time to time, but we are not close. I guess he is alright.”  
“I am sorry to hear that,” Daveed put a reassuring arm around your shoulder and for a moment you realized how much you had needed to see him again. “But no marriage for you?”

You could not help but laugh, “Why, are you asking?”  
“I would NEVER. You’re like a sister to me!” he made a disgusted face and you playfully slapped him. “So, still living the single life?”  
“What about you, huh?” you retorted and he smiled.  
"Well, there is someone. You remember Jalene?” Of course, you remembered her, you had met Daveed’s girlfriend a few times but had had no idea that they were still going strong.

“Sure, how is she? All well in the relationship department?” Daveed simply nodded. You had always known him as being a bit shy when it came to his love life, so you decided to not probe him anymore. “Well… can I put my stuff somewhere? I believe you promised me the grand tour?”  
“Sure, follow me!” Daveed quickly showed you the way to his dressing room, which was extremely cluttered, but also a good view of his personality. Down the corridor, you could make out voices and loud music. Suddenly you felt anxious again, would you meet other cast members?

Daveed must have sensed your uneasiness and observed you while you put your jacket away. “Are you ok?”  
“Uhm… will we meet other people?” you asked, suddenly feeling very silly.  
“I guess so. The show will be on in about three hours and most of them arrive quite early since we have lunch together and will discuss a few things. Are you nervous?”  
“Yeah? I mean, you are all SO successful. Living the life I have always dreamed of, so of course, I am nervous. What if they think I am weird? Am I weird? Please tell me I am not weird Daveed!”

He laughed at your pleading but quickly grew serious again, “Listen. You have always been weird, but,” he held up his hand to stop you from saying something “You have always been very very likable, ok? We are all dorks around here, even those who are used to being in the spotlight. Does that make you feel better?”  
You nodded, still not completely convinced, but you had to put on your big girl pants now. 

“Ok. Let’s do this. Or… do you want to have a cupcake first?” you had seen him eye the box which was now sitting on the makeup table.  
“I’ll just taste test, ok? How many did you bring?”  
“About 15, why?”  
“We can give them to some of my friends, you’ll make an amazing first impression!”  
“If you think so…” you caught a look at yourself in the mirror and quickly made sure that your (y/h/c) hair did not look like you had just run through a field. At least the cold winter air had given you a healthy flush.

“Don’t fuss so much. You look fine. Or do you think that your future husband will be awaiting you in the depths of this theater?” Daveed grinned with frosting already stuck to his beard.  
“I will not take dating advice from someone who has vanilla frosting all over his face. But thank you.”  
“I missed you (Y/N)”, he suddenly said and you could see that he meant it.  
“You will never get rid of me again!” your threat was only halfhearted but Daveed looked a bit concerned. You followed with a “Muhahahahaha”, which finally made him laugh.

“Ok, let’s go and look for other people before someone starts looking for me!” Daveed quickly shoved the rest of the cupcake into his mouth and opened his door. Which startled someone in the hallway.  
“Oh my god. Do you always have to be so energetic Daveed?!” A shrill voice made you curious, and you followed it out of the dressing room.  
“Sorry, sorry. It’s a sugar rush. We have cupcakes, do you want one?”

You could finally see who he was talking to, a woman with long brown hair and a friendly face.  
“Cupcakes?" she inquired and you wordlessly offered her the box. “Oh, they look amazing! Thank you! And you are…”  
“(Y/N), nice to meet you!” you did not know if you should shake her hand or just stare at her, but the woman decided for you when she pulled you into a strong hug.  
“Hey (Y/N), I am Phillipa!”  
“Oh, so Eliza Hamilton, right?” you asked and she nodded, currently occupied with her cupcake. 

“(Y/N) and I are old friends, so I invited her over,” Daveed explained and Phillipa swallowed the huge bite she had just taken.  
“So, will you see the show too?” her question was directed at you and you shook your head.  
“Daveed said he will work on it though. So I don’t have to sell any organs. Or my eyes. Or my whole body I guess.”

“Who is selling her body in this theater?” a new voice appeared behind you and you could already feel your face grow hot. Phillipa was laughing silently and Daveed did not even try to hide his grin. “So much for making a good first impression,” you groaned and Daveed could no longer laugh silently. “Oh stop it!”

Since you did not want to pay him any more attention you turned around and were greeted by not only one, but two men. One of them was looking at your group like a slightly disapproving father, but his face lightened up as soon as he saw the baked goods.  
“Oh, are those vanilla cupcakes? Daveed, I did not know that you were a baker!” his voice was smooth and Daveed calmed down enough to point at you.  
“No no, she is the baker. (Y/N) this is Leslie, our resident responsible adult, and Mr. Aaron Burr,” Daveed explained while Leslie had already chosen one of your cupcakes and started to peel away the paper at the bottom of it.

“Ok, since no one seems to be interested in introducing me, I will introduce myself. Hi, Lin-Manuel, you can call me Lin. Or Lin-Manuel. Or whatever you want, I will answer to many different names. Have I heard something about selling your body?”  
You did not really see him before, but the other man appeared behind Leslie. It was indeed Lin-Manuel Miranda, an opportunity you had feared, but you had also been looking forward to meeting him. Or were hoping to meet him. 

Lin and everyone else was looking exactly like you had seen them in many videos. Maybe you had stalked the cast beforehand. Some of them. But that had not prepared you to meet them for real. Especially not Lin, in your eyes that man was a genius.

‘Ok, (Y/N), be cool, be chill. Don’t stare at him. Simply look at him.’ These thoughts did not fully register with your brain.

“Hey. I, well, thanks for meeting, I mean. Oh wow,” you tried not to make a complete fool out of yourself and Lin only looked at you in a curious manner.  
“Yes?”  
“Sorry. I have no chill around people I think of as being extremely talented. And there are SO many here,” you explained as Daveed gave you a funny look.  
“You do not act like this around me!” he complained and Lin snickered.

“Well, think about that Daveed, ok?” you simply said and everyone started laughing, apart from your friend.  
“I am hurt. Deeply hurt. I will never get you any tickets to see this show!”  
“Ok, back to the body selling plan I guess,” you sighed, but Daveed was already smiling again.

“Maybe I can get you a ticket (Y/N), I mean. It is my show. Why shouldn’t I be the one to get a spare ticket? But firstly… I will have to taste one of those cupcakes!” Lin approached you and you willingly handed him one of the goods. He took a tentative bite and you watched him nervously.


	2. Chapter 2

It felt like minutes until Lin had swallowed the bite and before he had the chance to take another one you interrupted him, “And?!”  
“They do taste good,” he slowly admitted and you let out a breath you had been holding.  
“She told me that she would use those for bribing, I would be careful!” Daveed interjected.

“Well, it is working,” Lin gave you a smile and you returned it. This was not at all like you had pictured this day. You had expected to spend some time with Daveed and after this a relaxing afternoon at home. Now you had not only met your best friend again but also supplied some of the cast members of the latest Broadway hit with cupcakes.

Phillipa looked at her phone, “Oh shit. I told Renée and Jasmine to meet me in… 2 minutes. I’ll be around later. It was nice meeting you (Y/N)!”   
You were surprised by another hug from the woman but gladly returned it.  
“Do you want to take cupcakes for them, too?” Daveed offered and she balanced two of them in her right hand before saying her goodbyes to the group that had formed around you.  
“I hope we’ll meet again (Y/N)!” you could only nod, this was so much better than you had hoped.

“So… I came to a decision,” Lin declared next to you and Leslie rolled his eyes.  
“Always with your big declarations, but go on.”  
Daveed shrugged when you looked at him, one eyebrow raised. Apparently, Lin and Leslie did sometimes represent the roles they played on stage in real life, too.  
“I declare that this cupcake was amazing. I am feeling very satisfied, see what I did there?” Lin laughed heartily and even though this was quite a cheesy attempt at a joke, you could not help but join the other two men in laughter.

“Well, all laughing aside. This cupcake will get you a ticket to the show. Not today… but I will check what I can do regarding tomorrow.”  
“Oh my god, really?! But tomorrow’s Saturday isn’t that one of the busiest nights?!" you questioned and now he shrugged.  
“As I said, I’ll see what I can do. You will hear from me. Or Daveed I guess,” Lin gave you a smile and you could not really decide what to do.

“Come on… hug it out guys,” Daveed commented on the awkward situation.  
“I guess that is the least I can do. Thank you so much. Even if it’s not tomorrow, I would LOVE to see the show at some point,” you decided to be proactive and quickly hugged the man in front of you. Leslie and Daveed gave you two a small applause and as fast as you had put your arms around Lin, you let him go again.

He was grinning at you, “My pleasure. But under one condition.”  
“Ok, what are your terms?” you inquired and he acted as if he was seriously considering something big that you had to do in return.  
“You will have to bring chocolate cupcakes next time!”  
“To the performance?”  
“You can come by earlier and put them in my dressing room?” Daveed offered and you gave him a critical look.

“You are just offering because you know that my chocolate cupcakes are amazing Daveed.”  
Your friend gave you an innocent look, “I would never dare and take anything that wasn’t for me.”  
“Well, tell that to the numerous water bottles you have stolen from me over the years!” you countered and heard Leslie laugh behind you.  
“Uhm, let’s just get on with the tour, ok?”  
“You are trying to avoid that topic, but I will get my water back!” you dramatically declared, to which Daveed only nodded.  
“Yeah yeah. I’ll provide you with fresh and crisp water, now, let’s go!”

You turned around to Lin and Leslie, both of them looking at you with some interest.  
“Do I have something on my nose?” you asked, suddenly self-conscious, but Leslie shook his head.  
“It’s just… Daveed never told us that he had such a charming friend. Where have you been over the past months?” Leslie’s comment made you smile and Daveed interrupted him before he could say another word.

“Back off man, you are married!”  
“And so protective!” Leslie’s laugh was contagious and even though Daveed joined in, he still looked serious.  
“I mean it. She’s like my little sister!” you knew that he was playing the big brother part to some degree, but your heart grew in your chest as you heard him say this. You had not seen each other for so long, but he was still the same guy you called your best friend.

“Noted,” Lin brought himself back into the conversation and actually winked at you. Was he always this… Open? Friendly? Sarcastic? You did not know what was going on. What you did know was that his hair looked extremely shiny. Ok, stop.

“So, I’ll get back to writing and I’ll check regarding the tickets, ok?”  
You nodded, “Thank you so much. Again, from the bottom of my heart.”  
“No biggie. So, guys, I’ll see you. And I’ll take Leslie with me, so you can finish your tour!” Lin gave you a small wave, Leslie only a nod and as fast as they had appeared a few moments ago, they were gone again.

“Ok, let’s move on. Do you want to see the stage?!” Daveed’s excited face made you smile.  
“Of course! This is amazing!”  
“I told you, they are all very nice. And look, you have even convinced Lin to get you a ticket!”  
You could feel another smile form on your face, “I guess I did!”  
When you arrived on stage, you could not help but gawk at the big auditorium before you. This was insane. You quickly put your cupcakes on a crate on the left of the stage and stepped up until you were able to see the front rows.

“Can you see most people while you play?”  
Daveed took a stand next to you and slowly shook his head, “But, I sometimes play without my lenses or glasses. Lin on the other hand… he can spot almost anyone. If someone is filming the show, he will give you the seat number. It’s actually quite weird, but one of his many talents I guess.”  
“As if he would not have enough of those already,” you agreed and Daveed chuckled.

“He is quite the man, I do have to agree. And he liked you. Which cannot be due to your weird stammering. Did your brain freeze for a second?”  
“Daveed. That’s mean. I… well, you know how I am around talented people. And he is mega talented. And nice,” you stopped yourself, you could already sense Daveed’s smile and when you looked up at him (he was quite a bit taller than you) you could see that he was indeed smiling down at you.  
“He is also single if that’s what you want to know.”

You huffed, “Thanks, but I am not interested.”   
Well, that sounded like a lie, even to yourself. But what were you supposed to say? Did you think of him as a very talented individual, an apparently easy-going man who also had amazing hair? Yes. But would you admit it? No.

“Sure,” was all that Daveed said, he had always given you some space when it came to talks like this. And it was ridiculous, you knew almost nothing about Lin (well, that was something you could fix with a quick Google search once you were home), but he had already left a lasting impression. Which was weird, since you normally did not trust something that felt so surprisingly good. You decided to let it go for now.

“So, can I hear something?” you asked and now Daveed looked taken aback.  
“Excuse me?”  
“You brought me to this stage. I demand a performance!”  
“Do you really think that I am your personal jukebox?”  
“To some degree, yes. Please. For me?” your pleading face apparently made him change his mind. Daveed sighed and you sat down on another crate, clapping your hands enthusiastically.

“What do you want to hear?” Daveed tried to sound defeated, but you knew that he did not mind performing for you.  
“Can you do ‘What’d I Miss’?”  
“I’ll only do a small part ok?” he smiled and when you nodded he walked a few paces away from you to put himself in the right mindset. You were excited to see him in his element and when he started to sing you could not help but enthusiastically squeal. He gave you a funny look but continued without missing a beat.

As stated before, Daveed only finished the first part of the song and after this, he returned to you, a bit out of breath.  
“That was amazing! You are amazing!” you quickly hugged him and could hear his laugh before you could see his face again.  
“I guess I was alright.”  
“Oh come on. Don’t sell yourself short. That was great!”  
“How about you? Up for a little performance? Just like we did so many times before?” his tone was challenging, but you slowly shook your head.

“I’d rather not. Not after you have performed so beautifully. I stopped taking lessons quite a while ago, so I might not even be any good. I am baker now, so no more singing.” That was a big lie, you were constantly singing, so much that one of your work friends, Cat, had started to complain to you on a daily basis. But you felt out of your comfort zone in front of someone who made his living on stage, what if he would judge you, and, even more mortifying, what if some of the amazing women in the play would hear you (or Lin, let’s just be honest)? They were all so talented, the thought alone made you feel hot and cold all at once.

“Hey, no pressure. I am sure that you still sound amazing. But you don’t have to if you don’t want to, ok? But… I’ll get you to sing at some point. Maybe I’ll have to bring you to one of our karaoke nights?”  
“You mean a night where everyone from the cast sings? Like, people who sing for hundreds of people every night? People who have had training and sound amazing?” he definitely noticed the panicky tone in your voice.

“Calm down. They have their off days too. And you do sound great, you don’t have the same training, so what? You did have training and no one is expecting another Idina Menzel or someone like that to come from your throat. Hell… have you ever heard Lin trying to sing some songs? We all sound weird from time to time. Don’t tell him I said that though. I like my job.” You had to laugh at his last comment and slowly nodded.  
“Maybe I’ll accompany you some time, ok? But no promise that I will actually sing.”  
“That sounds great. So… wanna hang for another hour in my dressing room? After that, I’ll have to get ready for the show.”

Hanging out quickly showed you that your friend had not really changed. Sure, he had grown even more into his fantastic persona, but you still laughed at the same jokes and it was great to just catch up with him, without any pressure. And, just like in the olden times, he did not mind changing in front of you, which came in handy since he had to get ready for the show after spending most of the time almost dying because he could not get enough air while laughing at another hilarious story that the two of you remembered.

It was weird to see him transform in front of you, especially in these old-timey clothes. You had to stifle a giggle when he put on the big frilly blouse, but it did add to the whole look. Finally, he was wearing his beige ensemble, which he told you would soon look better since he had to change into a dark blue coat during 'My Shot’.  
“If you say so. I will have to see for myself. I am a fan of the ponytail though,” Daveed clearly did not know if you were taking him seriously or not, so you gave him a thumbs up while he put on a layer of powder, a shiny face on stage was never good.

“You will see for yourself. You convinced Lin to get you tickets. If he manages to get one for tomorrow night he really had to beg someone at the box office. Just remember that.”  
“I don’t know what you mean by that,” you did not want to talk about Lin, but this time Daveed was not as easy to get rid of.  
“Come on. I know you. I also know how fast you like some people. And as much as I believe that you liked everyone I introduced you to today, you seemed to like Lin a bit more than the others.”You rolled your eyes, it was true, but were you ready to admit that? No!

“I do not like him any more than I like you Daveed.”  
“Well, that means you will make googly eyes at me in the future. I don’t think my girlfriend will like this development (Y/N),” you groaned, why was he making this so hard? Right, because he was Daveed.

“Listen. I liked meeting Lin, who wouldn’t? He is impressive (Daveed scoffed at that) and I am talking about his talent. If I admit one thing, will you let it go for today?”  
“I will consider it,” Daveed mumbled, occupied with one of his boots.  
“He has very shiny hair,” you muttered and your friend had to let go of the shoe to start laughing uncontrollably.  
“Oh man, I wish I could tell him what you just told me.”“Don’t you dare!” your voice had taken on a panicked tone and he quickly reassured you.

“I will of course not talk about this. But I will save it in my brain to bring it up at some point. Maybe at your wedding. Doesn’t matter who you’ll marry, I will bring it up anyways.”  
“Daveed… wow. That’s mean, even coming from you.”  
“You know that I would never embarrass you on purpose.”You could not help but shake your head at your friend. He was ridiculous, but you loved him for that.

A voice sounded from one of the speakers, “30 minutes.”  
Daveed checked his face and costume for the last time.“I hate to throw you out, but I’ll have to go meet the others soon.  
”You got up and put on your jacket, scarf, and beanie. He watched you with a smile on his lips.  
“What?”  
“That beanie, I got it for you.”  
That was true, he had gifted it to you on one of your birthdays and you still loved it.

“Don’t make me sentimental Daveed. I don’t want to cry on my way home!”  
He smiled brightly and gave you a long hug.  
“It was good seeing you (Y/N), and maybe I have introduced you to some people that you will keep in your life for a long time. Look at me, being the best friend you could ever get.”

“And so humble!” you mumbled against his chest.  
“Let me lead you to the stage door. The theater can get a bit confusing.”  
You accepted his offer and left the dressing room. In the hallway you almost collided with another woman, clad in a big dress.

“Whoops! Sorry, these skirts are so complicated. Hey Daveed!”  
“Hey Jasmine, may I present, (Y/N),” your friend pointed at you and you shyly gave a wave to the woman.  
“Oh, I have heard about you. Thanks for the cupcake by the way! Pippa told us that you were hilarious and she’s never wrong. Will you come back some other time? We could hang out?!” you felt a bit overwhelmed by the energetic, and extremely beautiful, woman, so you simply nodded.  
“I’ll see when I’ll be back,” you stammered and she smiled at you.

“Sounds good! I’ll see you then and Daveed, I’ll meet you in a bit!” with that, she vanished into another hallway and you gazed after her.  
“Who was that?”  
“Jasmine, she plays one of the Schuyler Sisters, Peggy. And Maria Reynolds.”  
“Hamilton’s affair,” you stated, suddenly very aware of how pretty she was.  
“She is also dating Anthony, our resident John Laurens and Philipp Hamilton,” Daveed added and winked at you. Damn him.

The walk back to the stage door wasn’t as long as you had expected and when you arrived you felt a bit sad to leave Daveed again. He immediately sensed what you were thinking about.  
“Hey there. Text me when you get home ok?”  
“Daveed, it’s the middle of the day.”  
“But it’s also New York. I just want to make sure that you get home safe.”  
It was sweet of him, so you simply nodded and he hugged you, “And I’ll get back to you regarding the tickets. And the chocolate cupcakes.”  
“You are ridiculous.”

“Alright, get home safe, ok?” he once again reminded you to text him and you nodded, a smile on your lips.  
“I’ll leave now, see you soon!”  
Daveed opened the door for you and for a moment you could see nothing but the blinding winter sun. Then someone let out a small scream, some people were still waiting outside. Daveed waved at them and then at you.  
“Text me!” you turned around and gave him an annoyed look when you immediately heard some of the girls outside the theater starting to gossip. Daveed even winked at you and stuck out his tongue. You ignored it but gave him a wave to indicate that you had heard him.

The door closed behind him and you were suddenly left alone in the street. The cold November air hit you like a truck, but you could not keep the grin from forming on your face. This had been one of the best days for a long time. And the weekend might even get better, who knew, right? You almost skipped to the subway, suddenly feeling very light. You got your best friend back, and even though you did not want to admit it, had met someone you had immediately felt drawn to.

After a long-ish subway ride, you arrived home. When you had moved to New York you had been lucky and scored one of the probably 5 affordable single apartments in town that you could actually pay for. It was not a big apartment, but it was enough for one person, with its bedroom, living room with an integrated kitchen, and a bathroom. You put your keys on a cupboard in the entry area and immediately dashed into your bedroom to put on yoga pants.

While changing, your phone binged two times. You finished changing and decided to brew yourself a cup of tea before looking at your messages. While you waited for the water to boil, you had acquired one of those fancy looking kettles from IKEA, you checked your cupboards. Surprisingly, you had every ingredient for making chocolate cupcakes in your apartment. If you were really so lucky and able to see the show the next day.

When your tea was ready you moved to the couch and put on some Netflix movie you had started the night before when you had been too nervous to do anything else. Before you met Daveed again and realized that everything you had worried about was not of importance.

You had two unread messages, one of them was from Daveed, the other from an unknown number. You were quite used to people texting you that you did not know since your bakery offered custom wedding cakes and baked goods and your number was the one that had been put on the official website. You left it on unread for now and opened Daveed’s message.

It was a screenshot and a comment by him: ‘Haha, just look at what we started!’. It was accompanied by a laughing emoji and you opened the picture to see what he was hinting at. It was a Twitter thread under the hashtag #redbeaniegirl - wait a hot minute. You were glad that you had put your tea away as you were reading the few tweets that were depicted in the screenshot: ‘Who is #redbeaniegirl? And why does Daveed ask her to text him?’ — ‘Who is she?’ — ‘I’ve met her this morning, she said she was waiting for someone and when Daveed came out and greeted her she almost tackled him to the ground.’ You recognized the girl you had met earlier and shook your head. What was going on?

Now it was time for you to check Twitter and you typed in the hashtag that Daveed had sent you. There were more tweets by now and you quickly shot the app again. Dear lord…‘Why Daveed, why?!’, you texted him but there was no answer, he was probably busy rapping his way through Hamilton right now. You decided to let Twitter go for the day and reached for your tea.

After focusing on the movie for 15 minutes you suddenly remembered that you had another message. It was important for you to check customer requests regularly, since weddings, in particular, were extremely important for your job. You took another sip from your tea and opened the message.

‘Hey (Y/N)’ Ok, that was weird, most people addressed you by your surname, but you decided to roll with it.  
‘I don't want to be creepy, but Daveed gave me your number. It’s Lin by the way. You know, the one and only? Scratch that, I am not that full of myself. Instead of rambling, I’ll just get to the point, I scored you a ticket for tomorrow night, not the best seat in the house, but decent enough that I do not feel ashamed when offering you this. You’ll get the ticket if you'll show up tomorrow at 5 pm with the promised chocolate cupcakes. It was nice meeting you today, I am looking forward to seeing you again. Peace out!’

This block was followed by another message: ‘Please forget the peace out - that was weird. See you! (Also, please get back to me, I need to know if you have received this!)’A few drops of your tea had landed on your pants. Ok, be calm. Lin had just texted you.

‘Daveed, you gave Lin my number?!’, was your next text to Daveed and this time he immediately got back to you.The answer you received was a simple ‘Booyah! (Also, I’ll make you Twitter famous!)’It was officially time to think about what you were going to wear the next day. This was definitely more than you had hoped for!


	3. Chapter 3

Your nerves had not calmed down when the next morning rolled around. You had spend some time texting with Daveed after the show was through and before he had to go on for another. After that he had quickly said goodnight when he arrived home, you expected the same things of him that he expected of you, so he happily obliged and made sure that you knew that he got home safely. 

His first message of Saturday simply said, ‘Ready for the show today? Oh, and meeting your amazing best friend?’ You texted back a heart emoji while preparing a cup of coffee and some oatmeal to get ready for the day. Your phone gave off another beep, maybe Daveed had texted you something else.

You immediately felt your face grow hot when you read Lin’s name on the display. After contemplating what to do (there were only two choices to be honest and you knew that not reading it really was not anything you wanted to do), you finally opened the message.

‘I didn’t hear anything from you. Did you die from the excitement? I hope not, so please, get back to me. I need to know if I should be excited for cupcakes???!!!”  
Right, you had completely forgotten to text him back the night before. But what to write? Your fingers hovered over your phone and after stirring in your oatmeal to prevent it from burning, you typed out a reply.

‘Still alive, but I almost fainted. Jokes aside, thank you so much Lin! Also, you can look forward to cupcakes, I will prepare them in a bit.’  
You put your phone on silent, simply too jittery to think about another reply, and went back to preparing your breakfast.

You allowed yourself to take another look at your phone when you had finished your meal and read the news. And your work emails. And maybe even a magazine that your neighbor had left out for you (she regularly bought People magazine and you borrowed it from her when she finished it!). Time to face a possible reply. You immediately spotted a message from Daveed and another one from Lin. You started with Daveed.

‘Hey girl, Lin just sent around a group text telling us all that you will bring chocolate cupcakes at 5? I am looking forward to it, but just remember to thank me when you get married to our Alexander Hamilton!’  
You had to laugh, Daveed was really pushing it with his not so subtle hints.  
‘Sure, but if you’ll keep on mentioning my possible future I’ll start believing it, so stop! Alas, you are correct, I’ll swing by at 5 and will supply you with my famous cupcakes!’

He answered only a minute after you had gotten back to him.  
‘Remember to wear something nice. ;)’  
You only answered with a saucy smiley, to which he replied ‘See you!’

After that, it was time to read Lin’s message. Your heart started beating faster. Stupid Daveed, already feeding your obsession with someone!  
‘I wouldn’t mind a preview of those cupcakes. (Almost only texted you the preview part, which would potentially sound creepy.) Also, looking forward to seeing you again — that sounded much less creepy right? If not, just blame it on my morning brain. I’ll leave you alone now!’

You only replied with a short ‘Haha!’ and decided that it was time to prepare the batter for the cupcakes. It was almost 11 and you would rather get it over with early than baking them under pressure. You also had to keep in mind that it would take some time for you to get ready.

While mixing together the ingredients, you listened to your favorite Hamilton tracks, absentmindedly rapping along to all the Schuyler Sister songs and My Shot. Thankfully, no one heard your feeble attempt at singing as good as the girls. You also answered some work emails while waiting for the cupcakes to bake, this weekend the shop was closed, since the owner had given you all some needed time off after you had prepared a wide array of wedding pastries over the past week.

Once you had taken the hot cupcakes out of the oven you remembered Lin’s request. Your phone was sitting on the kitchen counter and you grabbed it and took a photo of the cooling cakes to send it to him. You could see that he had gotten back to you while you were mixing the frosting, by now it was almost 2pm. After finishing the thick cream, you wiped your hands on your pants (no judgment, this was your home after all) and picked up the phone.

‘That was exactly what I needed to motivate me to make it through our matinee. I’ll be hungering for them throughout the whole show. Maybe I’ll even sing about cupcakes. That would be weird.’  
He was definitely not someone who proof-read his messages after typing them out, to see if everything made sense, but it was kind of charming. Apparently he had not been joking when he had talked about wanting some chocolate cupcakes.

Speaking of the baked goods, by this time they had cooled down enough and you quickly decorated them with a generous amount of frosting. You had even found some white chocolate stars and put one of them on each of the cupcakes. They looked amazing, you had to admit that to yourself. Now it was time to hopefully transform yourself into something amazing looking, too!

In the shower you gave yourself a little pep talk. “Ok, you can do this. It’s nothing, just a show that you desperately wanted to see. You’ll get to see Daveed perform, that’s great! And you will see all the amazing people you met yesterday. Wohoo!”, you ended with a little punch in the air. It was weird to do this, but it did motivate you to get on.

After stepping out of the shower and looking for a new song to blast, you realized that Daveed had texted you again, ‘Lin told me to tell you (is this high school?) that you can give yourself some more time. He is busy right now so I was chosen as the royal messenger. To get back to what this is about: we’ll likely be busy until 6, so stop by then?’  
You sighed in relief, time had already started to catch up on you, so this meant that you had another hour left to get ready before you had to leave your apartment. 

You made quick work of your hair, simply blow drying and putting some soft waves in it. You loosened them up with your fingers and put them in a low bun to maintain the curls, but also have enough space to do your make up. The dark green dress you wanted to wear was already lying on your bed, so you decided to match your make up to it. 

You did not want to go all out with your look, it was only a show after all and most people did not really dress up too much for these events. After accentuating your eyes with a slightly smudged liner, you put on mascara and a bit of concealer. Powder sealed it all, at the moment you were happy with how your skin looked, but this could change in the blink of an eye. You also decided to pat a reddish lipstick onto your lips and critically looked at yourself after finishing. You looked decent enough in your opinion.

The dress still fit, which was amazing since you had gained a few pounds since starting in the bakery, and the skirt ended just beneath your knees. You loved it for the slight retro feeling it gave you and quickly put on your heels. They weren’t too high, especially since you would walk quite a bit until you would reach the subway. You also packed some ballet flats, you were all about the comfortable life. 

A quick glance at the clock told you that you still had a few minutes before you had to leave, so you spend them with putting the cupcakes in one of your fancier boxes. They did not squish one another and you congratulated yourself for baking them. They did look amazing. 

Since it was time to leave after organizing a bag for the box, you let your hair down. The curls had started to look a bit more casual which was the look you had gone for, and you quickly protected them with your beanie. “Red beanie girl is coming for Hamilton!”, you declared loudly, happy that no one was around to give you a weird look.

Clad in your thick black winter coat, balancing the bag in one hand and steading yourself with the other, you left your apartment and made your way down the stairs. In heels, the way to the subway took you ten minutes instead of five, but you had calculated that difference, so you reached the platform once the train arrived. So far, everything went according to plan.

 

This time it was easier to find the theater and you felt yourself slow down when you spotted another group of fans in front of it. You should have expected this, one show had barely ended and they were already queuing for the next one. Thankfully, you also made out Daveed’s hair between some girls, he was apparently signing some autographs. 

He must have sensed you, because he looked up before you could call out to him.  
“(Y/N)! Hey, I almost thought you had forgotten about us!”  
“I would never!”, you answered and the security guy let you through the barrier, after Daveed gave him an ‘all clear’ look. Some of the fans had spotted you and your bright red beanie, and started to whisper. Daveed realized this too and gave you a wink before hugging you and pressing a quick kiss to your forehead. 

“Overplaying it a bit Mr Diggs?”, you asked and he grinned.  
“I’d do everything for a good show, remember that! Get your butt inside, you know the way! And beware of Lin, he is already looking for sustenance!”  
You laughed, “Good to know. I’ll see you in a bit!”

The atmosphere around you calmed down once you stepped into the theater. You had indeed memorized the way to Daveed’s dressing room and found it in under five minutes. On your way, you met Leslie, who was apparently on his way out to get something to eat.  
“Hey! Red beanie girl right?”  
You must have looked mortified because he started laughing.

“I do remember your name (Y/N), but Daveed showed us the twitter thread. Always great to start a new trending topic I guess?”  
“It was not trending…”  
“Maybe it will soon! I’ll come back later, I heard that there are some cupcakes in your bag?”  
“Yup, I’ll save one for you!”

He left with a small wave and you opened the door to Daveed’s dressing room. It was even messier than yesterday, but you blamed this on another two show day. You carefully maneuvered yourself around some boots and put down the box on a small table. Then you took off your coat and beanie and tried to make yourself comfortable.

Soon, there was a knock at the door and you simply shouted a “Yeah?”, expecting it to be Daveed. In hindsight, why should he knock in his own door? It was not Daveed, but an eager-looking Lin who immediately spotted the box on the table.  
“Heya. Can I come in?”  
Be cool.  
“Sure.”

He shuffled inside and shut the door behind him. It took you a few seconds but you realized that he was wearing his show pants, socks and shoes, all paired it with a band sweatshirt. You must have looked confused because he reciprocated with an equally confused, “Is something wrong?”  
“No, just… your outfit.”

You had gotten up since you planned on freeing the cupcakes from their box, so you missed the look he gave you while you made your way to the table.  
“I put it on so that I would not spill anything on my fancy costume.”  
“That’s actually genius.”, you admitted and opened the box. It only took you a few seconds to release the first layer of cupcakes from their enclosure and you offered the first to Lin. Well, not the first. You had eaten one on your way, they were delicious.

He took it from you, a childish look on his face.  
“I have been looking forward to this the whole day!”, he confessed and you could not help but laugh.  
“I hope they will meet your expectations!”  
He bit into the cupcake and let out an appreciative moan. You took this as a good sign.

“That is amazing! I’ll have to save some for next break and after the show. By the way, we wanted to go out afterwards… Do you want to come?”  
“Uhm… if that is ok with everyone?”, you stammered, not sure how you should react.  
“They have to be cool with it. Daveed would be happy to have you around. And the rest of us think you are friendly, so…”, Lin trailed off and took another bite.

“Ok, then I’ll accompany you. Now I’m glad that I brought my flat shoes. I wouldn’t survive in these ones for a whole evening.”  
Lin looked down at your feet and let his gaze travel up your body. You tried to stand still, especially when his eyes reached your face.

“Well.. you put my outfit to shame. Although.. I do wear a fabulous ensemble during the show which would look great next to your green dress.”  
“Ok?”  
“I am trying to say that you look…. different”, he slowly said and you did not really know how to respond. Was he trying to say that you looked funny? Or weird? Or maybe good?

Lin apparently had trouble finding words too, but in this moment Daveed burst into his dressing room, “WHERE ARE THE CUPCAKES?!”  
Lin and you turned around, both a little shaken from the sudden intruder.  
“Sorry guys, I just got overexcited. Have you been having fun without me?”, Daveed’s suggestive tone made you feel embarrassed, so you started to hastily arrange the rest of the cupcakes. 

“You will have to tell everyone that there are cupcakes in your dressing room Daveed. They can all get one if they want, I made more than enough.”  
“And they do look amazing, let me have one!”, your friend looked at you pleadingly and you handed him one of the small cakes. His reaction was similar to Lin’s and you could not help but smile at him. It was great to see other people enjoy what you had prepared. 

“Are you looking forward to the show?”, Lin asked, apparently desperate for some kind of conversation. He definitely was not someone who could be quiet for a long time.  
“I am, once again, thank you, thank you, thank you. I cannot wait to see all of you on stage. I have been listening to the songs non-stop. Which… is a good pun I guess.” You and Lin laughed, while Daveed was still occupied with his cupcake.

“You do realize that these cakes will turn us into addicts and you will have to supply us on a regular basis, right?”, he finally declared, already looking for another fix of chocolate.  
“I don’t mind, as long as I don’t have to bake during weeks in which we have to do catering for three different weddings.”, you were careful while giving this promise, you knew Daveed and his love for being a bit over the top.  
“Sounds good to me!”, was his only response, before looking you up and down.

“Damn (Y/N), you really made an effort, huh?”  
“Daveed. Careful.”, you muttered and glanced at Lin who followed your conversation with apparent interest.  
“Just sayin’, I haven’t seen you so glammed up in a long time. Looking good.”

You sighed, hearing it from Daveed was nice, but you were still thinking about that weird comment from Lin. Silence began to stretch between the three of you until Lin’s phone made a shrill sound. All of you flinched and he quickly started to apologize.  
“Sorry, sorry. I have to take this. Sorry…”, he left the room and you could hear him begin to talk.

“So… why the long face (Y/N)?”, Daveed had shut the door behind Lin and you let yourself fall onto one of the chairs. Like Lin, Daveed was still dressed in his costume pants, socks and shoes, combined with a casual hoodie.  
“I am not making a long face, ok?”, you replied, knowing that he could see right through you. Instead of saying anything else, you started to take great interest in one of your curls, winding it around your fingers.

“Did Lin say something?”, Daveed kept on pressing.  
“He said that I look different? What is that supposed to mean?”, for this one moment, you decided to show your friend that you were stressing about what Lin had said to you.  
“Only that you look different?”  
“He also said that he is wearing a green ensemble in the show that would look great next to my dress, but that was just idle talk I guess.”

Daveed leaned back in his chair, folded his arms and kept staring at you. He did not say anything for a long time. Well, in Daveed universe (on a good day) that was a solid minute.  
“I mean… he probably wanted to compliment you but chickened out. He is not really known for being smooth you know?”  
You scoffed, “Daveed, as good as that sounds, I have only met him yesterday. As if he would start complimenting me today…”

“Well, you only met him yesterday, but you are already stressing about what he said… or rather didn’t say. So don’t give me that excuse.”  
You knew that he was right, but it still kept replaying in your head. There was another knock at the door, once again it was Lin. 

“Hey guys, just wanted you to know that I will lie down for a bit. But… I put your ticket on the make up table (Y/N) and I’ll see you later ok?”  
“Sure.”, you replied. Playing it cool was harder than you had imagined. Lin gave you a friendly nod, waved to Daveed and vanished.

“Ok, first of all, you ARE attracted to him. You actually turned red. It would be adorable if it wasn’t so…”  
“Don’t you dare say pathetic!”  
“Then I won’t”, Daveed snickered and took another cupcake, eating it much slower this time.

“On the topic of the color red. Is that hashtag still going strong?”, you asked, eager for the conversation to change.  
Daveed fished his phone out of his bag, checking his twitter feed. He was quiet for a minute.

“Oh, it is not only going strong. It has started trending. People are crazy about you!”  
You groaned, “I hope they are not crazy enough to stalk me.”  
“So far, no one has identified you. Which is weird, since I am following you. Right now you are still a mystery. Wanna take a picture?”

Daveed wiggled his eyebrows at you and you sighed.  
“If you promise to not caption it with anything weird.”  
“I would never!”, Daveed feigned outrage at your words and you could not help but smile.  
“Ok, let’s get it over with.”

“Come here!”, Daveed gestured for you to join him and you awkwardly crouched down beside him since he was sitting on a chair.  
Your friend turned his phone camera to front-facing and waited for you to get at least a tiny bit comfortable.

“Wait, you have to wear the beanie!”  
“Ok, wait a second.”, you got up again, quickly grabbed your hat and put it on your head without ruining your hair.  
“Ready?”  
“Ready!”, you agreed, once again kneeling beside Daveed. Both of you smiled and he took a few photos.

“So, let me choose the one in which I look amazing.”, Daveed looked at his phone and you craned your neck to see something, too.  
“Hey, I wanna look good too!”  
“You always look good. Well… except when you have just woken up. Or when you are sick. Or—“  
“Ok, ok I get it. Just choose one. And DON’T you dare write anything naughty!”

Daveed snickered but grew serious again, or at least quiet, “I wouldn’t post anything weird, contrary to you, I do have a relationship. And even though Jalene knows that we are only having fun, I don’t want any angry messages being sent your or my way.”  
You decided to eat one of your cupcakes while Daveed typed out his caption. They were indeed delicious and you sent a silent thanks to the heavens, it would have been horrible if Lin and Daveed had only said they were good to indulge you.

“I sent out the tweet. I even added your username to the mix!”  
“Oh Daveed!”, you sprung to your feet.  
“You only said that I was not allowed to post anything naughty!”  
“That is naughty too! Bad Daveed!”, you stopped and started laughing. The situation was ridiculous and soon your friend joined you.

“You might thank me some day, just sayin’”, Daveed lifted one of his eyebrows and put his phone away. “Anyways. I do need to get ready now. I don’t want to be rude, but it would probably be best if you take your ticket and we will see each other after the show, alright? I’ll text you where to meet! Or send someone for you.”  
“Uhh, VIP treatment.”  
“Only the best for my friend.”

You got up and took the ticket from the table. You glanced at it, the seat was quite good and you were really looking forward to seeing the show.  
“Ok, I’ll catch up with you later. Where do I have to go?”  
Daveed had started to put on his costume again.  
“Just follow the hallway to the left and take the first door on the right. You’ll find your way from there. If someone stops you, just show the ticket, I think Lin signed it on the back, so everyone will know that you are not a thief!”

“Good to know. Thanks… and see you later!”, with a wave you left his dressing room and followed his directions. You eventually ended up in the more public space of the theater and asked one of the employees for directions to your seat. He checked your ticket and spotted Lin’s signature.  
“Oh, you got a really nice seat on short notice! Just go down here and you should see a sign that will point you in the right direction!”

You thanked him and quickly joined the swarm of eager people who were also looking for their seats. When you finally found yours you were taken aback. Hadn’t Lin told you that it wasn’t a really good seat? You were literally five rows from the stage, seated right in the middle and let out a small squeak. An older woman behind you smiled as you made your way to the seat. You sat down, she joined you on your left and nodded in your direction. In her face you could see your own excitement and together you smiled.

Suddenly your phone beeped — you had not turned it to silent yet so you quickly opened your bag and took it out. There were a million twitter notifications with which you would deal at some other point. You had also received two new messages. The first was from Daveed. 

’Hey girl, enjoy the show and I’ll send someone to fetch you afterwards. I have locked your coat and beanie in my dressing room and will reunite you later! Will also hand out cupcakes during the break!’ You replied with a winking emoji and swiped down to read the other message. It was from Lin and you checked the two seats next to you, hopefully no one was checking out your phone. You were beginning to turn paranoid.

‘Hope you’ll enjoy the show. I am happy to have you here tonight. See you when I am on stage!’  
You stopped short. What did he mean with that last part?!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments! :)

The last few seconds before the music began were the most exciting, but also anxious ones of the day. You had always loved this feeling, whether it was you on stage or in the audience. There was a certain kind of electric buzz around you and you had to stop yourself from fidgeting in excitement. 

Even the numerous times that you had listened to the music did not prepare you for the real thing. As soon as Leslie started to introduce you and everyone around you to the story of Alexander Hamilton, you were not able to fully realize that this was real. It certainly did not seem real that you saw your best friend on stage, being the badass you had always known him for.

Lin’s first “Alexander Hamilton” made you grin stupidly. You must have looked ridiculous, but you did not care. No one around you looked at other people in the audience, everyone was focused on what was happening before them and every single cast member made sure that you stayed with them and the story they were telling.

After the first few songs, you finally started to believe that this was real, you were really sitting in this theater, watching your new acquaintances in a hit Broadway show. It was insane how talented all of them were. “My Shot” made it hard for you to stay seated, Lin was amazing and you could not believe how he was able to memorize all these lines. It was his job, of course, but still, if you had to rap this song, even forgetting one word would make you stop in your tracks and probably end in you running away, fleeing to another country.

Finally listening to the live version of the Schuyler Sisters also left you in awe, the way in which Renée’s, Phillipa’s and Jasmine’s voices harmonized was beyond anything you had ever heard. All in all, everyone you had come to know enthralled you as soon as they opened their mouth on stage. Leslie had a smooth and warm voice, you especially loved his rendition of “Wait For It”, one of the show's best songs in your opinion (maybe because you were exactly the same, never rushing anything).

The woman next to you let out an audible sigh when Phillipa started “That Would Be Enough”. She was right to do so, Phillipa was an amazing singer and you desperately tried to ignore a slightly jealous sting you felt when she sang with Lin. It was their job and it certainly was not your job to feel any kind of jealousy. 

During “Yorktown”, you finally realized what Lin had meant when he told you that he would see you once he was on stage. Usually, and you knew this from Daveed and your own experiences on stage, performers were able to see the first few rows. Mostly three, sometimes even four. You knew how weird it was to see someone you knew in front of you, so you were actually quite happy that Daveed was not able to see you, but as soon as the ensemble began singing the rhythmic chant of “The world turned upside down” (which actually made you want to join), Lin looked straight at you.

Was it a mistake? Maybe he had just looked at literally anything in the auditorium? He could not have been able to see you, right? You looked back at him. It certainly felt like he was staring at you. He had to change his position on stage, for the finale of the song, but once again, his eyes found yours and now you were sure that he had spotted you. That man must have the eyes of an eagle. This time your goosebumps were not only caused by the wonderful music, but also the fact that the guy who actually wrote the damn play looked straight at you.

You were almost glad when the song ended and the scenery changed. Was it getting a bit hot in here? You changed your position in your seat, suddenly feeling uneasy. This was weird, right? First of all, this whole scenario was downright hilarious, you in this theater, watching Hamilton. The fact that you knew most of the people on stage, or had at least met them. And now Lin had been looking straight at you? Well, you should certainly not interpret too much into this. 

You had settled with this thought when Leslie started singing again and “Dear Theodosia” began to take shape in front of you. Once Lin joined him you had to smile, it was the first time that you had seen him without his apparently typical low bun. You also had not realized that his hair was this long, but it certainly suited him. 

He did not look at you again until the last number of Act I came around. Now you got his reference with the green ensemble. He must have known that you were thinking about it since he actually gave you a quick wink during his “I was chosen for the constitutional convention” part and unapologetically flaunted his green coat. This time you laughed out loud, something that did not attract too much attention since some of the people around you joined in when Lin did a weird little dance. The song flowed into its finale, different melodies all combined effortlessly. And with Lin’s last “I am not throwing away my shot!”, the first Act was over.

The break hit you suddenly, you knew that Non-stop was the last song before it, but you nevertheless immediately wanted the show to continue. The woman next to you stretched her back and accidentally bumped into you.  
“I am so sorry my dear.”, she quickly said and you shook your head to show her that her apology was unnecessary.

“It’s fine. I guess I’ll stretch a bit, too.”, you said and she smiled at you. The both of you got up and left the auditorium, you took the chance to use the restroom, which actually took longer than you had anticipated. When you washed your hands you had about five more minutes before the second Act began. You dried off your hands and made your way back to your seat. The woman next to you had not returned yet and you looked for your phone in your bag. Daveed had sent you a message, a picture, and a short text.

The picture was one of him and Lin, both of them with their mouths full of your chocolate cupcakes. Phillipa had taken the picture, you could see her in the mirror behind the two men, laughing at them. The picture was hilarious, especially since both of them had managed to get most of the frosting onto their faces. You laughed and read the message he had sent: ‘I guess we’ll have to get our make up redone. But, to quote Lin, it was SO WORTH it.”

“Oh dear, I didn’t know that you knew some of the gentlemen on stage.”, a voice beside you startled you. It was the woman from earlier. She had put her graying hair into a ponytail and was smiling at you.  
“Uhm… yeah, one of my best friends is actually playing Lafayette and Jefferson.”  
“I am sorry, I did not want to invade your privacy, but I couldn’t help but take a look at the picture you just received.”

She was nice enough, so you did not pick a fight over how weird it was to look at someone else’s phone. To be honest, you would have done the same.  
“It’s ok. They like to tease me with pictures, so it should not have been a surprise to me.”, you explained and she nodded.  
“Tell your friends that I am really enjoying the show. Especially Hamilton himself.”  
“I will.”, you promised and put your phone away.

The room grew dark again and Leslie appeared back on stage. You knew that the next song was Daveed’s solo as Jefferson and you could not wait for it! When he came down the stairs in his flashy suit the woman next to you looked at you and grinned. You had already loved his Lafayette, but “What’d I Miss” also showed his beautiful voice in addition to his ability to rap extremely fast, which he had proven before. The song was a banger and when it was over you applauded enthusiastically. 

You actually really enjoyed most of the songs in the second Act but watching it also meant that the show would be over soon. The first Cabinet Battle was amazing to watch, especially with the thought of both of the men with chocolate frosting all over their faces (they were also rapping extremely well).

One thing you had not been ready for was “Say No To This”. You, of course, knew what would happen on stage and you did like the song. Jasmine was an amazing singer, the way in which she could use her voice left you baffled and she looked gorgeous as Maria Reynolds. What also left you stunned was that fact that you actually felt jealous. 

This was ridiculous, you had known Lin for one day. Ok, it might have had something to do with the fact that you had googled him extensively beforehand and actually already knew that he was extremely talented (and not too shabby). All things that made you feel attracted towards him. 

You were glad when the stage changed again, the way in which Jasmine and Lin had behaved while she sat on his lap had left you irritated. You got a chance to calm down during “The Room Where It Happens”, another great show of Leslie’s talent. You would have to congratulate him on his beautiful voice later. You did spend a good amount of time enjoying the show after this (Lin’s solo “Hurricane” had you applaud louder than you should have, but hey), until “It’s Quiet Uptown” hit you.

You already knew that this was a tearjerker for numerous fans, they frequently complained about it on Youtube. You also knew that it was a sad song, but you had not been ready for it. After Renée had finished her first lines you already felt your eyes fill with tears, damn those emotional songs. Lin’s broken voice made someone behind you sniff audibly and you used one of your sleeves to dab at your cheeks when he sang his “Look around, look around Eliza”. After Phillipa’s “It’s quiet uptown” you had to take a deep breath to calm yourself and watched on as the two of them started to cry silently. 

It was hard for most of the audience to calm down after that song but you did find your way back into the show, which actually would end soon. When it finally came to the duel between Burr and Hamilton Lin held his infamous monologue and you once again caught his eye for a brief second. It was inspiring to see how he could transform speech into a performance and when the last song started to play and Phillipa told the rest of their story you again sniffled into the end of your left sleeve.

The lights died and you felt the audience take a collective breath. The show had been amazing and no one needed to persuade you to jump out of your chair once the lights came back on and the cast was standing in a long line to take bows. Daveed finally saw you and gave you an enthusiastic wave which you returned. You were so proud of him and of what he had achieved. Lin also looked at you, smiling when he noticed you smiling back at him. Phillipa winked at you, her hand grasped in Lin’s as they bowed.

After several rounds of applause, the people finally started to leave and you quickly grabbed your bag and followed the woman next to you out of the auditorium. She stopped you when you started to walk in another direction, the one from where you had come into the theater.  
“Please tell your friends that I loved the show. I will definitely come back!”  
“I will.”, you promised again and she left you with a light pat on the back. 

The guy who had told you where your seat was caught up to you again.  
“Hey, Daveed sent me! Something about showing you how to get backstage?”  
“Yeah, so I won’t get lost.”  
He laughed and motioned for you to follow him. It was quite easy to find the door you had walked through a few hours earlier and he left you with a simple “Goodbye!”, when you opened it.

The atmosphere backstage had changed into a more relaxed one. You met Phillipa on your way, she was already halfway out of her costume and immediately spotted you.  
“Hey (Y/N)! Did you enjoy the show?!”  
You nodded enthusiastically, “I loved it! You were amazing, all of you! I cried I laughed, I loved it!”  
She hugged you, but quickly let go again, “Oh, I am probably really sweaty, sorry. But I am glad to hear that you enjoyed it. I heard that you will join us for tonight?”  
“I guess I have promised something like that.”  
“Great, see you in a bit then!”

She rushed down the corridor and you smiled, Phillipa was an amazing human being. After meeting her, you made your way to Daveed’s dressing room without spotting anyone and knocked before entering.

He had already changed into his normal clothing and looked up when you opened the door.  
“There you are!”, his smile grew when you simply walked up to him to hug him.  
“That. Was. Amazing!!!”, you squealed and he hugged you in return.  
“Sounds like you liked it!”  
“Liked? I loved it! I knew that you were amazing, but that was something else.”  
“Awww, come on, you’ll make me blush.”  
“Mission accomplished!”, you grinned at Daveed, as he bashfully started to pack his things.

“But seriously, I was impressed by everyone on stage, you all were amazing. I will have to see the show again, I hope you know that!”  
“Noted, my next free ticket will find its way to you!”, Daveed promised and you looked at the table on which you had put the cupcakes. All of them were gone.

“Did you eat all the cupcakes?!”  
“To my defense, Leslie had two, the girls all had one and I even gave some to Antony, Oak, and Chris. None for King George, I am afraid. But he will understand. Jonathan also left right after the applause, he has some kind of appointment but I promised him that you would bring another batch soon.”

“So I am some kind of delivery service now? How about you and Lin, how many did you eat? There were a lot of them, I know, I baked them!”  
“We both had about… feiwght…”  
“Come again?”  
Daveed sighed and answered you, clearer this time, “Eight…”  
“Really? I feel like I should punish you now… But you are an adult. Don’t call me when you get a tummy ache though. That’s not my division.”  
“I know, I know. It was Lin’s fault. We tried to put as many cupcakes into our mouths as possible.”

You did not want to ask, but you had to, “And who won?”  
“Me!”, Daveed exclaimed, looking proud.  
“How many?”  
“Five!”  
“Wow.”, was all you commented and he shrugged.  
“We are supposed to get out in about 10 minutes, and after stage door signing we can go to one of these nice little bars a few blocks down from here. Do you want to already go there? You would not have to wait for us in the cold.”, Daveed looked at his watch and you put on your coat and beanie.

“That’s a good idea. I should probably get out before you guys do, it must be mayhem out there every night.”  
“Well, in some way it is, but most people are really nice and I enjoy it!”

Daveed ushered you out of his dressing room and your shouldered your bag. This time you met Leslie, all bundled up in a big scarf.  
“Hey!”, he greeted you and you literally felt like a fangirl.  
“Wait for it…”, Daveed mumbled behind you (did he know that he had just made a pun? From the grin on his face it was deliberately)

“Leslie, you were amazing! I enjoyed everything you did on that stage!”, the words rushed out of your mouth and Leslie laughed out loud.  
“Thank you, thank you!”, he gave you an awkward hug with his free arm, the other clutched a bigger bag.  
“I’ll join you later, I have to drop this off at home, but I’ll come back!”

“I was about to complain that our Burr will not be joining us!”, Lin suddenly appeared behind Leslie, his hair back in a ponytail and dressed in his usual clothes and a warm coat. He looked at you and grinned, “Did you enjoy the show?”  
Daveed rolled his eyes, “She keeps telling everyone how much she enjoyed it. Can we please get on?!”

“You will have to tell me all about it later then!”, Lin smiled and you only nodded. Daveed fished his phone out of one of his coat pockets and quickly sent you a text with the bar’s address.  
“I’ll leave now and will see you in a bit, ok? Daveed already sent me the address of the bar.”  
“Do check out the place. We’ll try to be quick. Reservation is under Miranda.”, Lin explained and you made a mental note of what he had said.  
“Please don’t hurry because of me. Ok. I’ll be brave now. Red beanie girl will leave the premises!”

It was actually quite daunting to approach the door that would lead you straight outside the stage door. You could already hear the chatter of excited fans and when one of the security men opened the door for you, an excited hush fell over the crowd. 

When they realized that you were not one of the actors they were waiting for, most of them started chatting again. One girl pointed at you and identified you as “Red beanie girl!”, but no one cared, so you quickly made your way through another part of the crowd. It would definitely take the others some time to catch up to you, so you decided to take it slow and walk down to the bar.

The way took you a good 20 minutes, you had changed into your flat shoes and spent some time looking at window displays while walking. November walS not nearly over but the shops had already begun to bring out their Christmas decorations. You loved that time of the year, so the sparkling lights brought you an enormous amount of joy, which added to the gratefulness you already felt after watching Hamilton.

The bar was a small place and not crammed with too many people. When you entered, the smell of alcohol hit you and you looked around for someone who was working there. A woman approached you when she noticed you standing in the doorway.  
“Can I help you?”  
“Yes, I am the first of a group that has a booking here?”  
“Name?”  
“Miranda”, you said without missing a beat and she nodded.  
“Just follow me!”

She led you to a secluded corner and you sat down. It was weird being alone at quite a big table, but you couldn’t think too long about it since the waitress already asked you for your first order.  
“Uhm... I guess just water for now. I’ll get one of the grown-up drinks when everyone else arrives!”  
“Sounds good!”, she left you and you put your coat away. Now was the time to finally check all those Twitter notifications and while you started to scroll through them, you received your water.

“Thank you!”  
The waitress vanished again and you started reading. In the last four hours you had gained over 200 new followers, and if that wasn’t insane enough, most of the people mentioning you were extremely nice. There were a few hateful comments in there too, but you decided to overlook them. You also spotted a reply from Daveed, stating that you were one of his best friends and not some kind of affair. You giggled at that thought, it was too weird.

The first people to arrive where Renée and Jasmine and they immediately spotted you.  
“Hey girl!”, Jasmine gave you a strong hug, while Renée followed with a softer one. “Did you have to wait long?”  
“No, I arrived here about 15 minutes ago, so you’re good.”  
“Yeah, it was really wild outside the theater, but most people just wait for Lin and Leslie, so that’s a plus!”, Jasmine grinned and when the waitress came round, she and Renée ordered their drinks and one for Phillipa, who actually walked in right when the waitress walked away again.

She also hugged you and the three actresses all took a seat on your right. Phillipa’s cheeks were still red from the cold air and she rubbed her hands together to create a bit of warmth.  
“I am glad that you made it here, we are always excited when a new woman joins us!”  
“Well, how could I say no to this?”, you asked and all of you laughed.

“Exactly!”, Renée added and you once again expressed how thankful you were for the invitation.  
“Well, it was Lin’s idea after all. Yesterday, he hunted all of us down to check if we still had a spare ticket that we could give to him. We sometimes get ‘free ones’ if a family member wants to watch the show!”  
“Oh, I hope I didn’t take this opportunity from one of your friends and loved ones?!”, you suddenly felt very selfish.

Phillipa shook her head, “No worries, we all were out of them, so Lin had to come up with something else. Which he managed in the end. I have to say, that is impressive.”  
You knew what she was hinting at and groaned.  
“Not you too.”

“What?”, she asked, seemingly naive and Renée grinned.  
“Daveed already started to make comments.”, you mumbled and Jasmine laughed.  
“That’s Daveed! He also told us that you might have a small crush on a certain… Mr. Miranda?”, Jasmine wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.  
“I’ll kill him. Look, I have only met all of you yesterday and now I feel embarrassed.”

Phillipa, who was seated right next to you took one of your hands.  
“Listen, we are not here to make fun of you. I think it’s kind of sweet. And believe me, we are praying for someone to come around and take Lin off our hands.”  
Renée and Jasmine agreed with an “Amen!”, behind their friend and you found yourself starting to grin.

“Really? I mean, it’s still embarrassing, I feel like a weird school girl.”  
“I think it’s cute. And believe me, that man is a handful. Maybe you’ll change your mind after tonight?”, Jasmine shrugged and you all started to laugh again.  
“I feel like we, on the other hand, will get along just fine!”, Renée declared and you all raised your glasses to this.

Over the span of the next twenty minutes other people arrived. First of all, you finally met Chris and Oak, both were really friendly and went to the bar to get something to drink. In the meantime Lin and Daveed arrived, both of them made a beeline to your table and Lin immediately plopped down beside you. Jasmine giggled until Phillipa gave her a quick slap, which made you laugh.

“Finally…”, Lin sighed next to you and Daveed left to get to the bar, too. He promised Lin to fetch him a rum coke, while the Broadway star next to you closed his eyes.  
“So tiring?”, you asked and he opened one of them.  
“Yup. I do enjoy it, don’t get me wrong. But two day shows are extremely hard. And all that signing…” He straightened up again and looked around the table.  
“Leslie hasn’t arrived yet?”  
“No, but he did say that he will be late.”  
“Right…”

Daveed returned with his and Lin’s drink and all around you people started to talk. You were left with Lin, which was not too bad. He took a gulp from his drink and you raised your eyebrows.  
“Eager to get that down?”  
“Sorry… I should probably order water after this!”, Lin smiled and relaxed, “So, Daveed told me that you enjoyed our show?”

“That would be the understatement of the century. I loved it. I must sound like a broken record, but you all were amazing. Also, it is really weird when you look at someone in the crowd. Were you actually able to see me?!”  
Lin nodded slowly, “I do spend a great deal of the show scanning the audience. And I did spot you as I promised!”  
“Well… then you should know if I liked the show!”

Lin laughed and took another sip of his drink, “I did see you cry during It’s Quiet Uptown.”  
“That was extremely sad!”, you defended yourself and he nodded.  
“I know, I always get emotional during that song, too. I am glad that you enjoyed the show. I was almost afraid that you would not like it.”  
“Pfff, how can someone not like that show?!”  
He beamed at you and you shyly returned the smile, come on (Y/N), time to act like a grown woman.

Daveed joined your conversation for a second, “By the way (Y/N), I forgot to tell you that I sent the picture of the both of us to Jalene. She told me that you look… different!”  
Your best friend winked at you and you groaned. Lin looked from Daveed to you and started to ask, “What…?”  
Daveed had already returned to his conversation with Chris and Anthony, who had just joined you (you would have to introduce yourself later), so you decided it was easier to just explain what he meant.

“Remember when we talked about my dress?”  
Lin nodded, looking you over once again.  
“And you told me that I look different? I guess I did complain to Daveed afterward.”  
Lin gave you a puzzled look. This was definitely embarrassing.  
“Listen, it’s ok, I’ll just get another drink… and maybe drown myself in the sink on the way.”

You started to get up, but Lin grabbed your hand and pulled you down again. No one had noticed and he let go of you.  
“That might have been a weird way of saying something else.”  
“You think?”  
Both of you laughed and he awkwardly rubbed his neck.

“Listen, I did not mean to offend you, I only just met you yesterday, so why would I? You also brought cupcakes, they were amazing by the way. I am babbling again.”  
It was astonishing to think that this man had written one of the best shows out there and was overall a genius when it came to words. Not so much right now.  
“I would count that as babbling too, yes.”, you said, trying to make him more comfortable. 

“What I was trying to say was that you looked really good. Like, I mean you are already pretty, but you look really good tonight.”  
You were baffled by his words and he quickly grew nervous again.  
“Maybe I should try the drowning in a sink thing now?”, his joke was a bit weak, but nevertheless good.  
“No, no... I… well, I did not expect that.”  
“So I am back to being Mr. Creepy?”

You laughed, knowing that your cheeks must have turned red by now, “Maybe I should change your name in my phone to ‘Mr. Creepy’?”  
“You should definitely do this. So you’ll be warned when I text you. Which I will do.”  
You were confused by Lin, on the one hand, he seemed shy, on the other, he definitely knew what he was doing. You decided to just roll with it.  
“You do that.”  
He smiled and started to say something in return when your phone started to buzz in your bag.

“Sorry, I’ll just…”, you began and looked at the caller ID. It was your brother. Why was he calling you?  
“I… I am so sorry, I’ll have to take this…”, you mumbled and Lin got up to make space for you. “I’ll be back in a minute.”


	5. Chapter 5

You did not know why Stephan called you. He rarely did and you never looked forward to your annual calls, which mostly happened on birthdays or holidays. Christmas was still too far away, so you felt a weird panic rise in you as you exited the bar. You had forgotten to bring your coat, but you did not want to get it now, hopefully, the conversation would be short.

“Stephan?”  
“Who else would it be? A murderer? Yes, it’s me.”  
Lovely as always.  
“How are you?”, you at least tried to be nice to him. You could hear him sigh at the other end of the phone, almost impatiently.

“Listen (Y/N), I need to ask a favor.”, for everyone, this would sound like a request like any other. Brothers and sisters did do things for each other from time to time, right? Well, in your relationship, it was only you that had to cater to Stephan’s needs. You knew that it was wrong, but even though you did not have a good relationship with him, you were still seeking his approval.

“I am kind of busy at the moment but I will see what I can do.”, you got out, pressing the words through your teeth. You were 27, but in the eyes of your brother, you were always the little girl that could not do anything right. And if you ever decided to speak up he would tell your parents that you were not successful and that you had to be a real disappointment for them.

“Busy? You are working in a bakery, I would hardly call that busy. Diane is a lawyer, if she says she is busy, that’s one thing…”, he trailed off and you rolled your eyes. Diane, his perfect wife.  
“I know, she works really hard. So… what is the favor?”

“We will have to stay in New York next weekend. One of my colleagues is getting married and I never planned on contacting you, but it seems like there was a mix up with our hotel room and now everything is insanely overpriced. I am not willing to pay those prices, I do have a good income, you know that, but I am not putting that amount of money on the table. So, I thought we could stay at your place.”

You simply stared at the ground for a few seconds. Your brother waited, but then he cleared his throat.  
“(Y/N), have you lost your voice?”, this was something he had always asked you when you were little. You had been shy and he loved to tease you about it. Those were also the times in which you loved him dearly. To be honest, you missed him.

“I…uh… The whole weekend?”  
“We’ll arrive Friday morning. The wedding will take place on Saturday and our flight back will leave on Sunday in the afternoon. So, I am counting on you. You must have a guest room, right?”  
“I… can I think about it? For… an hour? I might have plans that weekend, so…”, you trailed off, already panicking. They would have to stay with you, otherwise, your brother would definitely tell you off.

You could hear his annoyed huff, but he also realized that he wanted something from you.  
“Sure, I’ll get back to you in an hour.”  
You ended the conversation and continued to stare at a lonesome fire hydrant right in front of you. This situation was worse than you had thought.  
“Ok… you’ll think of something (Y/N), no problem. I mean, they can sleep in your room. You can take the couch. That only fits two people. Oh my god. He will hate the apartment. And Diane will not like the neighborhood.”

While you started panicking, the door behind you opened.  
“(Y/N)?”, Daveed had followed you and you were glad to see him.  
“Hey…”, your voice sounded shaky, even to you.  
“What happened? Lin told me that you got a call and he did not know if you wanted him to follow you, so he sent me?” That was actually very nice.

“It’s just… my brother is coming to New York next weekend…”  
“And that is bad?”  
You quickly summarized what had happened and Daveed grew annoyed with every word that tumbled out of your mouth.  
“Listen, (Y/N), you cannot let him walk all over you like that!”

“I know… I know. But I don’t know what to do… Where are they supposed to sleep?!”  
Sensing what you needed now, Daveed simply gave you a hug.  
“Ok, let them do it this time. But after next weekend you will have to stand up to him. Otherwise, I will talk to him, ok?”  
“Thanks…”, you mumbled against his chest and he patted your back.

“I am sorry, I had to follow you Daveed, is everything alright?!”  
Lin had appeared behind your friend and you quickly tried to put on a smile. Which definitely did not work. He had also brought your scarf, which he handed to you.  
“Sorry, it’s just… well, it’s a weird situation…”

While you put on your scarf, it was now Daveed’s turn to tell Lin what had happened, he also included the way in which your brother had started to ignore the both of you after his suspicions about your relationship.  
“Well… was there ever any reason for his suspicion?”, Lin asked, looking from you to Daveed.  
“No! Daveed’s like a brother to me. Even the thought… ugh.”, you shuddered and Daveed laughed.  
“Thanks for that, really (Y/N)?”  
“Sorry.”, you smiled at him and Lin joined your laughter.

“Thanks for the encouragement guys. But I still don’t know what to do. Even if I let them stay at my apartment, they will make me feel so horrible about it. And I don’t have the money to get them an appropriate hotel room. And then they will start questioning my life choices, my job, my relationships, or rather the lack of one, they will tell me how happy they are and how great their wedding was… Maybe I can just disappear for that weekend?”

Lin and Daveed had listened to you small outburst, smiling slightly.  
“That’s not funny!”  
“Well, it is funny how high your voice gets.”, Lin retorted and you send him a, hopefully, mean glance.  
"I have an idea!”, Daveed suddenly beamed.  
“Really?”, you were hopeful, but only until you saw a weird glint in his eyes. Oh no.

“Listen, guys… I have a great idea. Really, really great.”, Daveed started and you nodded.  
“Ok?”  
“Lin, didn’t you just move into a new apartment?”  
Lin was taken aback, he had obviously not expected to become a part of this idea.  
“Yes, I mean.. I have lived there for a few months now, but it’s still quite new since I do not really spend a lot of time there. Why?”

“Try to be open to my idea, ok guys? After hearing about (Y/N)’s brother (Daveed looked at Lin) and after enduring his weird grudge for the last 10 years (Daveed looked at you), how about we try to really make him appear like a fool? I bet that he has already told Diane that they will stay in a crappy apartment—“  
“Hey, my apartment is not crappy!”, you interjected.  
“I know, I know, well actually I don’t know. But I believe you. The thing is, he will definitely have told her that. And he also tells your parents what a failure you are on a day-to-day basis, right? I’d say, let’s show him something he won’t be expecting!”

Lin was apparently hooked, he nodded so vigorously that some of his hair came loose. You were still confused, “And how are we supposed to do that?”  
“Well…”, Daveed rubbed his hands, “You will need an amazing apartment in a good part of town. Your career is totally fine, you are basically the co-owner of that bakery and you know it. But, you will also need an insanely successful partner. Someone who will leave your bother speechless and, more importantly, someone who is better than Diane!”

“Ok…”, you did not really follow him, but Lin began to look bewildered.  
“Wait…”, Lin slowly started and Daveed interrupted him.  
“I know just the man! May I present to you, a man who has it all, an Emmy, a Tony, a Grammy, and numerous other prizes. A man who has written one of the most successful musicals on Broadway. A man who will look good at your side! Lin-Manuel Miranda!”

You could almost hear crickets in the distance.  
“Come on guys. That has to be the best idea, right?!”  
“Uh…”, you slowly said, overwhelmed by Daveed’s approach. It sounded amazing… but Lin was surely not ready to do this.  
“I mean… it sounds great, but I don’t think that Lin would be up for that, right? We would have to put on a real show over a whole weekend, without counting the show he has to do every night. That is too much work and… I don’t want to impose myself on Lin.”

Daveed almost pouted and turned to the man of the hour, “Come on man.”  
Lin still looked a bit shocked.  
“I… I mean… I would totally say yes if that doesn’t creep you out (Y/N). We would have to act like a couple though, wait, that’s totally too much, I am sorry, I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. Forget I ever agreed to this. We don’t really know each other at all and I don’t want to be weird.”, he took a deep breath while Daveed only smiled at you.  
“I will stop talking now”, Lin concluded and both men looked at you.

If you could pull this off, it would be the best thing you had ever done. It would also be great to get to know Lin better. But wouldn’t it be selfish of you to say yes? On the other hand, your brother would be dumbfounded and that was something you had never seen. Daveed apparently sensed your hesitancy.

“Listen… You don’t have to have sex in the next room and let them hear that, ok? I am sorry (Y/N), I had to say it! But, it would be great. Also, you two seem to get along quite well and I just thought it might be a good idea to get your brother to back off a bit.”

You took a deep breath, here goes nothing, “I would be up to it if you are Lin? I would be indebted to you. I will bake you the biggest cake. Or clean your apartment. I would even sing a song at your karaoke nights.”  
“Ok, I am sold. That’s all it took, karaoke!”, Lin grinned and you stared at him. Did he really just agree?

“Wait... what? You will do this? For me?”  
“Sure.”, he shrugged and you almost jumped into his arms. He was obviously startled but returned the hug. Behind him, Daveed gave you a thumbs up and you could not help yourself but smile at him. This was going to be great.

“Wait, wait!”, you let go of Lin, who cleared his throat awkwardly, “I have to call my brother and tell him!”  
Even though he wanted to call you back, you were the one dialing his number now. It only took your brother two seconds until he got on the line.

“I thought I was supposed to call you?”  
“Sorry, I just wanted to make sure that you get all the information you need.”  
“Ok… so?”, he was definitely impatient and you enjoyed it.  
“So…”, you echoed his words and continued before he could say anything, “I have talked to my… boyfriend (Daveed and Lin both grinned) about your situation and we decided that you can stay at our apartment.”

There was silence on the other side.  
“Wait… you are in a relationship? You never mentioned it.”  
“Well, you never asked…”, you answered and he was silent again.  
“So… will you give me the address or do we have to find our way to your apartment via telepathy?”  
“Oh, the address?”, you scrambled for words and Lin let you know that you should hand him the phone.

You covered it with your hand, “Really?”  
“Sure.”, he said and you got back into the conversation.  
“I’ll just hand you over to Lin, he is better with directions!”  
Before your brother could say anything else you gave the phone to Lin who cleared his throat briefly before taking the call.

“Hi, hi. Stephan right? I am Lin.”, he waited, apparently your brother had something to say.  
“Full name? Are you the police? Ok, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Yeah… Listen, I’ll send you the address in a bit. It’s in Washington Heights. We definitely have a spacious room for you and Diane. Mhm…mhm… yeah, I’ll send a car for you once you arrive at the airport. No worries, yeah. Mhm…mhm… right. Ok, See you in six days.”

Lin had to stop himself from laughing but handed the phone back to you without blowing his cover.  
“So… I guess Lin told you the most important stuff. I’ll send you the address.”, you supported the things Lin had just disclosed.  
“Listen (Y/N), I… I have to say that I am surprised. Your boyfriend sounds like a decent human being. I will still google him. But I am glad that you are apparently able to find someone who isn’t a total douchebag.” So far, these were all backhanded compliments but you liked to hear that your brother was apparently surprised by this.

“Yup. I’ll get back to you later. See you next week!”, you ended the conversation, feeling the adrenaline surge through your body. You suddenly felt like you were stuck in one of these cheesy romance movies, but guessed that everything was possible once you meet people like Daveed and Lin (and everyone else in the cast). This was either going to be the best thing you would ever do, or it would backfire in a spectacular way!


	6. Chapter 6

After sending Stephan Lin’s address (and subsequently putting it into your phone), you still had not really grasped that this was the plan now. It was weird. On the one hand being Lin’s girlfriend, even a pretend one, was amazing, on the other hand, it would definitely not help with your mild obsession over the man.

“Let’s get back inside, ok? I am freezing!”, Daveed finally suggested and you and Lin followed him back into the bar. You had not realized that Leslie had joined you, but he greeted you with a smile and a warm hug once you reached the rest of the group.

“Glad to see you again!”, he said and you returned his hug.  
“Thanks for being so amazing on stage tonight. I loved Wait For It. It’s one of my favorite songs!”  
“Don’t let Lin hear that it’s the only song where he is not really doing anything and he considers it to be one of the best!", both of you laughed and Lin joined you on one of the smaller benches that were placed in the corners of the bar.

“What's so funny?"  
"Oh nothing--", you began, but Leslie interrupted you with a smile, "Well, she only just told me that Wait For It is her favorite song of the play!”  
“One of my favorite songs.”, you corrected him and Lin raised an eyebrow.  
“Is that so?”  
“I'll go and talk to someone else!”, Leslie announced and left you with Lin.

“So, you want me to be your pretend boyfriend and your favorite song is not even one in which you can hear me?”, Lin sounded hurt, but from the grin that had started to form on his face, you knew that he was only teasing you.  
“Well, like I said. One of my favorite songs. I also love My Shot and I have a weak spot for It’s Quiet Uptown.”, you admitted.

“Ah yes. As I said, I did see you crying during that song.”, Lin still grinned and you noticed that he held another drink in his hand.  
“I think I’ll get a drink now.”, you said and he looked at the one he was currently enjoying.  
“What do you want?”  
“Uhm… Gin and Tonic? Maybe? I don’t know.”  
“I don’t think they have an I Don’t Know cocktail, but I was told that they carry great gin.”

Lin waved the waitress over and you ordered your drink. It only took her about three minutes to return and she placed a generously sized glass in front of you.  
“Oh, thank you.”, well, that would be interesting.  
“And?”, Lin asked and you took a tentative sip. It was great.  
“Delicious!”, you declared and he raised his glass to you.  
“To a successful charade!”  
“I’ll drink to that!”, you agreed and you both raised your glasses to your lips.

“So… I guess we should come up with some kind of plan. We have to pull this off, from what Daveed and you have told me, your brother is a jerk and I want to make him see that you are a successful woman. It’s actually sad that you need a boyfriend for that, but apparently, that’s something he cares about?”  
You sighed and sat down your drink. Time to explain some things.

“Yes, my brother always believed that successful people have to have an equally successful partner. Which is not really the case with us.”, you shrugged.  
“You’re right, I would never reach the standards that you have set with your cupcakes!”, Lin joked and you smiled at him, thankful that he made you feel so at ease.

“Like I said. My brother cares for stuff like that. Relationships. If he would come to New York and see my small apartment, he would laugh. Also, my job is not the best one you can get, I love it, but that is not something he thinks of being important. Money was always the main thing that motivated him.”

“Oh, this will be fun.”, Lin mused and you put your hand on his arm, suddenly a bit braver thanks to the alcohol.  
“But seriously, I owe you. Big time. Thank you. If you at any point want to end this… prank? Let’s call it a prank. Just tell me. And I will tell my brother the truth.” That would definitely be extremely embarrassing, but you did not want to force Lin into doing something he did not want to follow through with.

“No worries. I will see this through. But, we will have to prepare some things. You should look like you know what my home is like, so let’s start with that. I do have a show tomorrow evening, but if you want, you can stop by for breakfast? And I will show you my humble abode. I am quite busy from Monday to Wednesday, so there will be no time for coming up with stories and stuff like that. We should make sure that there are a few pictures of us around my home too since I do keep family pictures around.”  
You were impressed with his ability to plan something like that after two shows and, by now, two drinks, but he kept going without giving you a chance to interrupt him.

“You would also need to bring some clothes and of course simple stuff that you can just spread around my apartment. Am I forgetting something?”  
“Nothing that I can think of right now.”, you admitted and he nodded thoughtfully.  
“So… breakfast tomorrow?”  
“It’s a date!”, you said and immediately backpedaled, “I mean… sure.”

Lin had not realized your weird stammering and looked at his phone, “Let’s make it brunch, ok? I will be sleeping till ten I guess. Let’s say 11 am? I will make sure that there is food around. And feel free to come in comfortable clothes.”  
How was this so easy for him? Was he not nervous at all? Maybe you had misunderstood Renée, Phillipa, and Jasmine. Maybe Lin was not interested in you at all. At least not romantically.

“We should probably tell my cast mates about this too. I will force your brother and his wife to watch Hamilton on Friday and my friends should know about this, too. I will tell them tomorrow… If that is ok with you of course?”  
“I guess so.”, you mumbled, feeling slightly overwhelmed with how fast this was developing. Lin must have sensed this because now he put his hand on your arm.

“We can do this, ok? I’ll be your right-hand man, so to say.”, both of you laughed as he referenced the show and you felt yourself relax a bit. This would work out. Sure, it was an enormous undertaking, but it would be great. Right?

The rest of the evening went by quickly. Lin introduced you to Anthony and Chris and both men greeted you warmly. You also spend some time with Daveed, who continued his tales of red beanie girl, his (in his words) greatest project to date. As midnight turned into 1 am, you decided to call an Uber, it was getting late and you were tired. 

Daveed had left 30 minutes before your car arrived and Lin accompanied you on your way out.  
“So, I’ll see you tomorrow… well, today at 11. My place. Bring cozy socks.”, he was definitely a bit drunk because when he hugged you he leaned heavily against you.  
“Uhhh, sorry.”  
“No worries. Get home safely. I’ll come by later.”, you reassured him and let yourself fall onto the backseat of the car. Lin gave you a small wave before he returned back into the bar and you leaned against the cold window on your drive home.

 

You did not really remember how you got into bed, but the next morning welcomed you with a blaring alarm.  
“What the…”, you mumbled, looking for your phone, the cause for your rude awakening. It was only nine and you rubbed your eyes. Why had you set an alarm? Suddenly the events of last night came back to you and you actually started sweating in your fairly cold room. 

Had you really made plans with Lin to deceive your brother? It must have been true since you were about to meet the man for breakfast. Which you should get ready for. To the, hopefully motivating, tune of some kind of Broadway playlist on your phone, you showered and quickly put on a bit of makeup. It would be weird to show up at his house with a full face of makeup, so this would have to do.

After drying your hair, you put on a pair of leggings and a sweater dress. He did say to put on casual clothing after all and since you did not want to turn up in your workout clothes or a shirt with holes that you usually wore for cleaning, this outfit was the best you could come up with. You also remembered that you still had two chocolate cupcakes in your kitchen. You had left them at your apartment to consume while binge-watching a show over the weekend, but decided to take them with you once you were ready to get going.

Checking your phone to see how to get to Lin’s home, you realized that he had already texted you.  
‘Awake?’  
You smiled and began to type an answer.  
‘Yep. Also, almost out of my door and on my way. Do you need me to bring anything?’  
While he was replying, you put on boots and your coat, temperatures had fallen once again and it did look rather cold outside.

When you turned back to your phone he had sent you an answer.  
‘No, I think I got everything. Do you like eggs? I mean, who doesn’t, but actually some people don’t.’  
You laughed at his weird text, which was immediately followed by another.  
‘Sorry, my brain is still on sleep mode. What I wanted to ask was, how do you take your eggs?’  
‘Scrambled if that is ok. I am on my way now, should be arriving shortly after 11’, you answered, put the cupcakes into your bag and left your apartment.

Your calculations had been right, you arrived at the apartment complex that Lin was living in at 5 minutes past 11. It was a nice looking building and he buzzed you in without checking if it was really you. You were unsure on which floor he was living, but when you reached the right one you spotted his head peaking out of his apartment.

“So it is you and not some weird dude.”, he grinned and opened his door wider.  
“Thank god, you also look like you have just fallen out of bed!”, you quickly said and he looked down his front. Lin was wearing sweatpants and a band t-shirt.  
“I did say casual, didn’t I?”, he checked and you nodded. “But you look like you put in some effort, which puts me to shame to be frankly.”

You stopped him with a wave of your hand and he stepped aside to let you in. You quickly took off your shoes and followed him down his hallway. Lin’s apartment was fairly spacious and since he apparently was not a big fan of closing any doors, you could catch a glimpse into his living room (the biggest room with a large window and couch, but also a grand piano), his bedroom (with an unmade bed which made you look away immediately), a guest room (which was apparently used as an office most of the time) and finally the kitchen. There was also a closed door, which had to be the bathroom, but you simply followed Lin for now.

“I do have a table in my living room, but I figured we could eat here.”, he explained and pointed at a small table for four people at the end of his kitchen. There was also a small balcony which made you look outside.  
“Your apartment is amazing. I wish I could live here!”, you confessed while he got to work on his coffee machine.  
“Well, you will live here for a weekend I guess.”, Lin interjected and you nodded, deep in thought. Being in his apartment felt strange, but you also liked it immediately. 

Everything you had spotted so far matched his colorful persona, some of the things must have been expensive, but there were also bits and bobs all around him that further underlined his creativity and made you feel comfortable.

“Oh, before I forget…”, you mumbled and freed the cupcakes from your bag.  
“Are those cupcakes?!”, Lin asked in disbelief and you nodded.  
“The last two. I saved them for my weekend but since you are the one providing me with food this morning, I had to bring them!”

Lin turned around to properly look at you, “You are the best. Just put them on the table. I still need to prepare the coffee, but after that we can eat and plan!”  
You followed his instructions and took a seat, watching him fiddle with the machine. Lin was not extremely tall, you had already realized that, but it did not bother you. He also must have taken a shower, his hair was still slightly wet and once again you were amazed at how much hair this man possessed.

“Ok, here you go!”, Lin turned to you and you quickly looked at your hands, had he caught you staring? It did not seem like it, he simply put down a cup in front of you and took a seat on the other side of the table.  
“I did provide scrambled eggs!”, he pointed out and you nodded.  
“Thank you!”

He gave you a smile and you returned it.  
“It’s a bit weird, right? We have only known each other for roughly two days and here we are, having breakfast and planning our fake relationship.”, you mused and he nodded.  
“But it also sounds like an amazing story that I can tell to my grandchildren when I am older.”, he added and this made you laugh. He was right, the situation was ridiculous, but also extremely entertaining and exciting.

“So…”, he began, while you took a piece of toast and began to nibble on it. “How did we meet? What do you want to tell your brother?”  
You spent a few minutes thinking about this, Lin started with his eggs and when you finally started talking he had already finished half of his coffee.  
“I think… maybe we met because you ordered something from the bakery I work at?”

“Great idea. I actually ordered a cake a few months ago, when one of the cast members celebrated his birthday. Let’s say that’s the story and Daveed recommended your bakery because he knew you. I then immediately took a liking to you and begged you to go on a date with me.”  
“Don’t you think that’s a bit unrealistic?”

“What’s unrealistic?”, he questioned and looked at you.  
“Well, that you begged me to go on a date. No one has ever done that.”, you shrugged and took a sip from your coffee. It was really good.

“No one has ever begged you for a date?”, he questioned further and you felt your cheeks grow hot.  
“No…”, you slowly said and he shook his head in disbelief.  
“Well, you better start believing it because that’s the story I will be telling.”

Lin’s cheeks had started to turn red, too, but you blamed it on the warmth of the room.  
“By the way”, he suddenly perked up, “Daveed took a sneaky picture of us yesterday, so that would be one of the pictures that we can put up. Maybe you can come to the theater on Thursday, so we can take another one? Two should be enough, just to place them around the apartment.”  
“Sure, I am free after Thursday afternoon, I had to use some of my vacation days for my brother’s visit.”

“Then we’ll have a little photo session. Back to the story. This is almost like writing a musical. Without the singing of course!”, Lin looked at you enthusiastically, the caffeine must have hit him at this point.  
“So, you begged me for a date and I said yes because I liked the way you… I don’t know? Talk?”  
“Talk?”, he echoed and you tried to come up with an explanation.  
“You are amazing with words. I do appreciate that!”  
“So it’s not my dashing looks?”  
“Do you want me to tell my brother that I immediately fell for you because I thought you were smoking hot?”

Lin laughed and reached over to your side of the table to grab a strawberry, you had not even spotted them, you were too nervous and focused on the man in front of you.  
“Ok, let’s say I wooed you with my words, just like Alexander did with Eliza, and not my handsome face. Then we went on a few dates, our relationship grew and after… how long have we been dating?”

“About six months maybe? Or would that be too soon to move in with you?”  
“In New York? No way, we would save an insane amount of money by sharing rent. Or the price for an apartment!”  
“Did you buy your apartment? I don’t want to pry, but…”  
“I did. Hamilton helped me with that to be honest.”  
You nodded. Buying your own apartment in New York, that was the dream.

“Ok, so six months. And let’s just tell them that you moved in with me after four months?”  
“Sounds great.”, now you reached for one of the strawberries and took a bite. Lin observed you eating, which made you feel a bit weird. Was he staring? After a few seconds he focused his attention back on the plan.

“If you are free after Thursday afternoon, I would suggest that you can stay over at my place? You will have to stay here over the weekend, so maybe doing a practice run on Thursday would be great? We don’t have to share a bed, but… just to make yourself feel comfortable in my home?”, he almost sounded nervous and you could see him rubbing his elbow.

“I think that’s a great idea. And without being too optimistic, I think I will feel great here. It’s rather you that will have to make do with me invading your privacy and space!”  
“That’s fine. Just remember to bring some things with you, clothes for the weekend and stuff like that. You are living here after all.”  
“Alright. My brother will be blown away!”, you were already looking forward to seeing your brother’s face.

“While we are talking about your brother, you did give me his number yesterday and I did send him a few questions this morning. Stuff like, are you or Diane vegan, what do you need to feel comfortable and I did ask him if they want to see Hamilton!”  
“Oh, what did he say? They are not vegans though.”

“He told me that much. He also said that they would only be needing bedding and towels. And he mentioned that Diane apparently really loves Hamilton. So far, he has not made the connection between me and the musical I think. He only said that they would be glad to see the show and thanked me for making it possible. He also kept calling me ‘man’, so… that will be another surprise.”, Lin grinned and you finally let out a hearty laugh.

“I am looking forward to this. For the first time, I am the one that has done something right. Even if it’s not the real thing.”  
“You will be thankful for it being fake, I have been told that I snore a lot and you will be the judge. Wait… I actually don’t want to know how bad it is.”, Lin laughed and you joined in. After this, you ate in silence for a few moments

After finishing your eggs and toast, you pushed one of the cupcakes in Lin’s direction. He took it with a “Thank you”, while you got hold of the other one, slowly peeling away the paper that was protecting the base. Your phone buzzed and you shot Lin and apologetic look. He only shrugged.  
“Don’t feel bad. Who is it?”

You checked, it was a text from Daveed.  
“Not my brother, it’s Daveed.”  
“So your brother from another mother like the cool kids say nowadays.”, Lin said and you laughed.  
“I’ll just tell him that we have a meeting to talk about the biggest plan of my life!”  
“That sounds awfully important, but go ahead!”

Lin got up and began to once again fire up the coffee machine.  
“You want another one, too?”  
“Sure!”  
He made his way over to you and had to lean over the table to reach your cup while you were busy answering your friend. You caught a whiff of Lin’s shampoo, it smelled good and you had to stop yourself from exaggeratedly sniffing the air. Daveed’s text brought you back to reality.

‘Sounds good. Don’t forget to talk about the fact that you will have to touch Lin. And — I hate to bring it up, but you will both not think about it or at least not talk about it — you will have to kiss. So maybe plan in some practice time for that, too?’

“Oh shit.”, you blurted out and Lin turned around.  
“What happened?”  
“Uhhh…”, this was not the most eloquent way of articulating yourself, but your brain had officially entered panic mode. You definitely had forgotten the couple part that included kissing.


	7. Chapter 7

“Earth to (Y/N)?”, Lin had continued to stare at you while you were still busy thinking about how to break this to him. Kissing. Touching.  
“Daveed just pointed something out that we should probably talk about…”, there it goes. Your face felt like it was burning off, but you would have to explain this. Why hadn’t Lin talked about it? He seemed to have everything else all planned out.

“You suddenly seem very serious, should I sit down for this? Are you breaking up with me, your pretend boyfriend?”  
You could not help but laugh and Lin joined you, albeit in a nervous manner.  
“No no, no worries. But you might think about it after what I will tell you next.”  
“We’ve been over this for some time now. I don’t think that anything will make me abandon you when your monster brother comes to visit.”

You shrugged, unsure about how to start.  
“Ok, uhm. We might have been forgetting something.”  
“Really? I think our plan is pretty solid!”  
“It is, but… We haven’t talked about the physical aspects of the act itself. Like Daveed told us, no need to do something over the top but we will have to behave like a couple.”

Lin sat down again, looking at you curiously.  
“So… are you talking about touching, hand-holding, cuddling…”  
“And KISSING!”, you blurted out, louder than you had planned.  
“And kissing.”, Lin repeated your words with raised eyebrows.

“You don’t think that’s a problem?”  
“Why would I?”  
If he was so businesslike about it, maybe it really was not a big deal.  
“So, you don’t think it will be weird?”  
He chuckled and started to rearrange some of the things on the table.

“I mean, it probably will be at the beginning. I am used to kissing so… I mean to pretend kissing someone, that came out wrong. Do you think it’s weird?”  
“Oh, did I not show this by my obviously panicked outburst?”  
You laughed nervously and Lin stood up again, stretching.

“We’ll manage, ok? We should probably schedule some practice time for that too. To make it less weird. But, let me show you my home first, alright? And we can start practicing some other things right now.”  
He offered you his hand and you took it. Lin’s palm felt warm against your own and he quickly interlaced your fingers with his.

You had to stop yourself from grinning when he pulled you up and did not let go of your hand.  
“Let’s pretend that we are on a walk. Through my apartment. The small things I guess. We don’t have to start kissing yet, think about it until Thursday, but we should try it at some point. Otherwise, we might look like hormonal teenagers when your brother arrives.”, Lin actually giggled and you felt the reassuring squeeze he gave you.

“My brother is not the biggest fan of PDA, so anything we will be doing will bother him.”  
“I’ll put it on my list.”, Lin touched his forehead with his other hand and winked at you.  
“But now, let me show you your weekend home. The kitchen has already been observed, so let’s continue with the living room. I spend most of my time in here, that’s why it’s a bit messy.”

Lin led you into the biggest room of the apartment and you immediately felt at home. He had a big couch that practically invited you to sit on it. You also spotted a TV, some bookshelves and cupboards and his grand piano.  
“It’s so cozy!”, you admitted and he let go of your hand. You looked at it, suddenly feeling cold, but he waved you over to one of the huge windows.   
“Here’s the second balcony. If it were summer, we could sit outside, but I guess it’s rather cold. I also have a fireplace over there, we can get that going on Friday. And… this is my pride and joy, my piano!”

Lin sat down on the bench and motioned for you to join him. It was a tight squeeze and your whole left side was touching his right.  
“Do you play any instruments?”, he asked and you shyly shook your head.  
“I have only been singing. Daveed might have told you, but we went to a few workshops together. Something my brother also did not appreciate.”

Lin started playing a random tune, "Does your brother appreciate anything?”  
“Well, only a few things. He enjoys his job, a good scotch, owning a big house. I guess sometimes he even likes living with Diane.”  
“Sounds like so much fun.”  
“Oh, he’s a riot!”, you laughed and Lin only nodded to the music. You realized that he was playing a wild mixture of some Hamilton songs.

“So, you sing?”  
“I won’t be singing today.”, you quickly clarified.  
“You did promise me a karaoke night if I recall correctly.”  
“And I will sing when we have that night.”  
“That is a pity”, he hummed to the tune of That Would Be Enough.

You listened to him playing another song and he stopped once he registered that you were both waiting for him to continue the tour.  
“Oh, sorry.”  
“I don’t mind. I like listening to you play.”  
“Thank you.”, he mumbled and tucked a loosened strand of hair behind his ear. 

“Ok, let’s continue this. You will have to see everything!”, Lin got up again and you followed. After reaching the door that led back into the hallway he once again reached for your hand.  
“Let’s try this again!”, you let yourself be pulled to the next door. It was the one that had previously been closed and, as you had expected, it was the bathroom.

“I don’t know what to say about the bathroom. As you can see, I do own a bathtub, a shower, a toilet, and a sink. I also have a window. Any questions?”, he looked at you and you smiled.  
“No, I think that’s pretty self-explanatory — the sink looks awfully empty though. I will change that this weekend.”  
“I expected as much.”, Lin kept staring at his bathroom until you cleared your throat.

“Right, let’s get going. Next stop, the guest bedroom!” So he would leave his bedroom till the end.  
As expected, he had made use of it as an office. You spotted a work desk, overflowing with papers, but with a few changes, this room would be perfect for your brother and Diane.  
“Sorry — I kind of made a mess in this room. I’ll clean it till Friday.”, Lin laughed nervously and you stopped him with a wave of your hand.  
“We can tackle it on Thursday, ok? I’ll get some flowers, Diane would like that.”, you mused it would be easy to clean the room and you did not want Lin to do all the work.

“Ok, so there’s only one room left…”, Lin pulled you after him and you finally got a chance to see his bedroom. It was astonishingly normal. A big bed occupied most of the room, it still wasn’t made, something that Lin realized immediately.  
“Oh shit. Well, let me show you a realistic approach to my bedroom. I definitely forgot to make the bed. I will change the sheets of course, when you stay over on Thursday. And for the weekend.”  
“It’s ok. I like to see how you live, no worries.”

You continued to look around. There was a big wardrobe on one wall and he also had a smaller dresser on which you spotted some family pictures. You took a step towards them, curious to see who was on the photos.  
“Those are my parents”, Lin pointed out and you nodded, “And that’s my sister Luz. Just so you know!”, he winked at you. Ok, time to say something in return.  
“Nice.”   
“Nice?”  
“I mean, you look happy in these pictures. Sorry, I spaced out.”

“It’s a bit much, isn’t it? All these pictures.”, Lin tried to get you to tell him what was bothering you.  
“To be honest, I am glad to see that you are so deeply connected with your family. Just makes me miss my parents and the time in which my family was still functioning.”, you didn’t want your voice to break on the last word but you also could not stop it. Your family was a difficult topic and apart from Daveed no one really knew how much you wanted their approval.

“Hey…”, Lin carefully moved around you, so that he could look at you.  
“I am sorry, this day was supposed to be fun and now I’m turning it into a sob fest.”, you blinked away the tears that had threatened to fall while Lin kept looking at you. Instead of saying anything, he led you back to the living room, sat you down on the couch and vanished into the kitchen. Was he giving you time to calm down? You could hear him rummaging through his cabinets and after a few minutes, the shrill sound of a microwave. You did not know what he was doing, but the minutes you spent alone definitely helped.

When Lin returned he carried a mug in his left hand. You tried to smile at him, still not sure how to handle the situation.  
“What’s that?”  
“To be honest, sometimes I panic when people get emotional. Or I get emotional and we don’t need two crying people. So, I thought about what my mother would do and she always made me a hot chocolate when I was a child. So… I made one for you? I even added marshmallows.”, he pointed at the miniature marshmallows floating in the hot beverage. It took you a few seconds to say anything in return, you definitely had not expected anything like this.

“Thank you. Really. That is extremely thoughtful.”, you accepted the mug and the warmth on your hands made you feel calm immediately. Lin sat down next to you, looking from you to the hot chocolate.  
“Do you not like hot chocolate?”  
“I love hot chocolate. Why?”  
“Well, you haven’t tried it!”  
You laughed, was he always that impatient? In an overexaggerated way, you raised the mug to your lips and took a small sip, careful not to burn your tongue. The rich chocolate flavor made you feel warm inside and you smiled at the man next to you.

“It’s good. Thank you. Now I know what to do if I want hot chocolate!”  
Lin grinned and relaxed a bit. He gave you another minute to take a few more sips before he spoke again.

“Do you want to talk about it? You don’t have to, but…”, you interrupted him before you could change your mind.  
“Sure, I mean it’s not a great story. You already know how badly I get along with my brother. As I said, it has not always been like this, but once our interests started to differ he let me be. And by let me be, I mean he didn’t do anything with me anymore. I was about 15 then and he must have been 19. That was also the time when he met Daveed. We spent some time together during the first few months in which they were friends. Then Daveed and I bonded over musical theater and it all ended with my brother accusing me of having feelings for Daveed. Which is ridiculous. But Stephan just told me that I should not contact Daveed again, with him being six years older than me, and my parents actually supported this even though I kept swearing that we were only friends.”

“Woah wait… So you’re…”  
“27.”, you told him and he put on his thinking face.  
“Well, if your brother didn’t like that age gap, then he won’t be happy with me being eight years your senior.”  
“No worries, you are very successful. That will tame the beast.”, both of you laughed but Lin quickly grew serious again.  
“So, I am now caught up on your brother, what about your parents?”

“They are both made of the same material. My dad is a lawyer and my mum works as a teacher. They have always been very clear that they do not want any of their kids to pursue an artistic career. Me being a baker is already a huge nightmare for them. I do visit them over the holidays sometimes. I went to see them last Christmas, the one before that I spent with a friend. It was horrible, everyone kept praising my brother and I am just the weird baking daughter. I might just spend this year’s Christmas away from them too.”

You shrugged and took another sip from your hot chocolate.  
“Sorry to be so blunt, but that’s really sad.”, Lin blurted out and you looked at him.  
“It’s been that way for the past ten years, so I am used to it by now.”  
“Can I hug you? Please, I mean, we still have to practice that, but… I am really sorry about your family. They all sound like dickheads, to be honest.”

You simply had to laugh, “If you say so! And yes. I would like a hug.”  
He looked strangely satisfied with himself and moved closer to you. This was going to be awkward, you could feel it. First of all, no one knew where to put their arms. Lin laughed when you bumped your head into his.  
“This is pathetic!”, you snorted and he took over and pulled you into a tight embrace.  
“Practice makes perfect”, he said in return and in your half sitting, half leaning position, his chin naturally rested on your head.

It felt great, you would not be able to lie about that. Lin’s one hand was firmly wrapped around your back, while the other kept stroking your hair.  
“Is that ok?”, he inquired and you nodded. You spent a few minutes in this position until your back started to hurt.  
“I have to get up.”, you slowly whispered and he let go of you.  
“Sorry.”  
“It’s ok, I was just starting to get uncomfortable.”

“So it’s not me, it’s you.”, even his weak attempts at jokes made you laugh.  
“You could say that. So, now that I have told you all about my miserable family, can you offer me something that will cheer me up?”  
Lin stroked his goatee in a thoughtful manner, “We could watch a movie? You can choose?”

“That’s so gracious of you.”  
“I have been told that I am the perfect son-in-law.”  
“Really?”  
“No.”, Lin chuckled and you grinned while taking another sip from your hot drink.

You thought about what movie you wanted to see. There was really only one that would make you feel a bit better!  
“Can we please watch Tangled? I love that one!”  
“Disney it is! I approve!”, Lin applauded your choice and turned on his TV. It did not take him long to find Tangled and before he started the movie he got up again.

“Do you need any snacks? I don’t think I have that many though… maybe some potato chips somewhere…”, he trailed off, lost in thought.  
“I’m fine, the hot chocolate was really more than enough.”  
Lin sat down again and patted the space next to him. You looked at him questioningly.

“Come on. We have to practice this couple thing. We should at least start to really sit next to each other.”  
“I suppose you’re right.”, you scooted closer to him, your leg touching his. Lin started the movie and during the first minutes, you were reminded why you loved Disney movies so much. They always made you feel better.

“Are you mouthing the words to the song?”, Lin pulled you out of your almost trance-like state.  
“I… yes. I know them. All of them.”, you admitted and he laughed.  
“That’s great. I was just watching you, you really got into that cleaning song.”  
“It’s NOT a cleaning song. She is expressing her desire to see the outside world, excuse you!”, Lin began to laugh harder at your outburst and you turned back to the TV, determined to not look at him again.

“Hey, I am sorry”, he panted, still out of breath from his laughing fit.  
“Apology accepted.”, you mumbled and relaxed back into the couch. A few more minutes passed and you suddenly felt Lin’s arm around your shoulders. You looked at him and he turned his head towards you.  
“Come on, I didn’t even do the ‘Oh I have to yawn, let me stretch’ thing.”  
“True.”, you agreed, trying to relax into his touch. It did work and you could feel him relaxing too. There were definitely some butterflies getting ready in your stomach, you already enjoyed this too much. You swallowed, this would be harder than you had anticipated.


	8. Chapter 8

By the end of the movie you and Lin were both lying on the couch, you atop of him resting your head on his shoulder. Lin’s left arm was wrapped around you and from the very regular pattern of his breathing, you quickly realized that he had fallen asleep towards the end of the movie. You had been too invested but could understand why he was so sleepy. Doing so many shows a week must be tiring, but this development also put you in a predicament. 

Should you wake him? No, he surely needed sleep. But how to proceed from here? The credits began and you sighed, not sure what to do. Your position was comfy and it had definitely helped you to feel more at ease. You looked up at Lin, who had actually begun to snore softly. It was not loud, actually, it was rather cute. You bit your lip, ‘stop thinking about him being cute’ you scolded yourself.

For the first time, you noticed the huge dark circles underneath Lin’s eyes. Once again, not surprising, considering that he was on stage almost every day of the week, sometimes twice a day. His hair had come loose and you refrained from trying to stretch your arm and touching it. It was appealing though. 

Lin shifted in his sleep and one of his legs fell off the couch. The sudden contact with the floor made him jump awake. He almost knocked you in the face with his other arm and you let out a shrill squeal.

“Oh shit, I am sorry. Did I fall asleep?”, Lin was almost sitting up at this point and you had followed his example, otherwise, this would have been a lot more awkward. His arm was still wrapped around your waist, which made you happier than you wanted to admit to yourself.   
“Let’s just say that I can now confirm that you do indeed snore.”

The man beside your groaned, but you could see him smile.  
“So, did I miss any of the important parts of the movie?”  
“I don’t know, I only realized that you were sleeping during the last ten minutes. I was focused on the movie. Unlike you.”  
“We should use stuff like this to argue in front of your brother. You know, couples that are too perfect are creepy.”

You were both quiet for a minute, Lin was still trying to be fully awake and you, once again, thought about the upcoming weekend.  
“(Y/N)?”  
“Hm?”, you looked at Lin.  
“Just to let you know. If you want to not do this at any point, you can tell me, too? I can ‘break up’ with you and then your brother might be focused on something else?”  
You snorted, you would definitely not let this opportunity go. Even though you were nervous about your plan, you did enjoy it.

“I think we can do this. I mean, we still have to cover that kissing part and then convincingly act around my brother and Diane, but… shouldn’t be too hard, right?”  
“I am generally a weird guy, so even if something seems suspicious, you can always blame it on my personality!”, Lin winked at you, which was immediately followed by a long yawn.

“I am sorry.", he mumbled and actually rubbed his eye like a small child. You finally got up.  
“No, I am sorry. I should get going actually, still have to prepare some things for Monday. Don’t you have to get ready soon, too?”  
“Oh shit, yes!”, Lin was suddenly wide awaked and looked for his phone, “Thank god, I still have some time. So you wanna get going?”

You nodded. It was true, you still had to prepare a few things and Monday was always an early start for you. Lin followed you into the hallway, where you put on your coat and beanie.  
“That thing is famous by now!”, he commented and you smiled.  
“You can never really stop Daveed. I’ll get used to it!”  
Lin handed you your bag and opened the door for you.  
“Listen, I think we already made some progress today. God, I sound like some kind of weird doctor. But, we have crossed off cuddling, so only decorating my apartment and kissing are left on the list!”

“Only”, you echoed and he shrugged.  
“We’ll manage. It actually feels good to not be the one that is weirded out about things for the first time.”  
“That’s encouraging!”, you laughed and he nodded enthusiastically. Now you were standing in front of each other, waiting.

“Ok, before this gets any more bizarre, let’s just hug”, Lin pulled you in a hug that definitely did not feel as awkward as the one you had shared on the couch some time ago. This time your bodies fit together perfectly and you enjoyed how firmly he held you. When it ended, he did not let go of you fully but continued to embrace you, looking at you.  
“So, don’t think too much about what could go wrong. We can do this, understood?”

“Yes, Sir!”, you said, maybe a bit too loud. Lin chuckled and leaned down a bit to kiss you on the cheek. It felt good and you could not help but smile when he eventually let go of you.  
“I’ll see you on Thursday, right? Try to bring some things ok? Maybe a suitcase? Full of things that scream ‘(Y/N)!’”  
“I’ll see what I can do! Have a good show!” 

Lin nodded and when you were halfway down the stairwell, already thinking about the time you had spent together, you heard his voice behind you.  
“Wait!”, looking back, you could see him hurrying after you.  
“Yes? Did you forget something? Or did I forget something?”, you asked, confused about his behavior.

“No, just wanted to check once again. I will tell the cast about our plan today, right? So that they can play along if your brother and his wife agree to come to the show on Friday?”  
“Sure.”, you agreed that this was the best idea and Lin nodded.  
“Ok, just wanted to make sure.”

Once again you both fell quiet. A neighbor came down the stairs and Lin greeted the older man. When he was gone he turned to you.  
“I’ll go back upstairs now. I still have to get ready. Um… thanks for coming, it was really nice.”  
You laughed and he quickly hugged you again, “Bye!”  
"See you on Thursday!”

You watched Lin as he disappeared into his apartment. He was weird, in a good way. You shouldered your bag and went down the rest of the stairs. On your way to the subway your phone beeped. You fished it out of one of your coat pockets and were strangely relieved when you saw Daveed’s name on the display. Who had you expected to text you? Your brother? Well, it was definitely good that it was not him. And you had just spent a whole morning with Lin, so it could not have been him.

You saved reading the message until you were on the subway. Once you found a seat you opened it: ‘Hey girl! How was your brunch with the boss?”  
You shook your head, amused at how nonchalantly Daveed tried to get the latest tea.  
‘It was good. No thanks to your message. I went into full panic mode!’

He was fast with his reply.  
‘I expected as much. Did you squeeze in some practice? :P’  
‘No, we pushed kissing to Thursday.’  
This time his answer took a bit longer.  
‘So no juicy gossip?!’

You decided to give him at least something.  
‘Well, we did cuddle a bit while watching a movie. And just between ourselves, Lin does snore.'  
Daveed simply sent you a laughing emoji, followed by him telling you that he had to get going but would check in with you later.

Once you got home you checked your work email. Cat had forwarded you a mail from one of your customers who wanted last minute changes on their wedding cake. It would likely take you all of Monday and Tuesday to accommodate those wishes. The wedding took place on Wednesday and Cat profusely apologized for the customer. You quickly sent her a text to let her know that the extra work was absolutely fine. In return, she warned you that you would hear a long rant the next day.

The next day was actually a lot closer than you liked — Mondays came with a 5 am start in the bakery. You made a list of all the things you had to take care of during the next week, including your ‘girlfriend assignments’, like finding stuff to take to Lin’s. That would have to wait till at least Tuesday, so you focused on putting out everything for Monday first. This actually took some time, especially because you were watching an episode of The Nanny while doing so. Ok, more than one.

Time flew by and you were pulled out of your sort of productive flow when your phone once again went off. It beeped two times, this time one message came from Lin. The other was from Daveed, a message you had missed while cleaning your living room. You put down the rag you had used and opened Lin’s message first.

‘Told the crew about our plan. Let’s just say they were a bit surprised. Most of them recovered quite quickly, I had to calm down our lovely Schuyler Sisters, they may have loved the idea a bit too much. So, no going back now. Haha. Kidding. You know that, right?’  
You rolled your eyes, Lin’s messages truly were a mirror of his personality.

Daveed also had something to say.  
‘So, Lin just told us. Without mentioning that this AMAZING idea came from ME. The bestest friend in the world. I’ll allow it. I will need to be kept quiet with baked goods though.’  
‘What’s your price?’, you answered and then went back to Lin’s message. He also needed an answer.

‘I had to agree to a deal with Daveed. He is not happy that you did not mention him as the mastermind of this operation.’  
‘Well, he’s not the one who has to kiss you.’, Lin shot back.  
‘Ouch, thank you. Also, ewww.’  
You could see that he was typing when Daveed got back to you.

‘I could be bought with a nice little cake on Thursday?’  
‘I’ll take care of it.’, you nodded while typing this and he answered with a thumbs up. How did you survive without this man’s good energy in your life?

Your phone came up with another notification that Lin had texted you.  
‘Ok, that came out wrong. Again. I might have a talent for that? Oops. I meant that I cannot wait to share amazing kisses with you. Better?’  
‘That sounds weird too, but better. Don’t you have to work?’  
‘It’s break time. Which means that I can let loose a bit.’, he supported his text with a picture of him eating a sandwich. It was weird to see him in full costume though. 

‘Don’t make a mess.’  
‘This is getting too real, you already sound like a legit girlfriend.’  
‘One might say that I am a method actor.’  
‘We should discuss this further. BUT, I have to get going. The Cabinet Battles are waiting for me!’  
‘Break a leg!’

You put your phone away. It was odd to text so leisurely with him but you liked it. A lot. ‘That might become a problem’, you thought to yourself. You pushed that thought to the back of your head. You still had to get a lot of things done, before your bed called. Working in the mornings also meant that you had to get into bed at around eight. You were looking forward to it, last night had been short and you definitely needed a snatch of sleep.

 

When your alarm woke you the next morning, you barely remembered getting into bed. It was pitch black outside and you rolled out from under your sheets, groaning the whole way to the bathroom. Baking all day luckily required no makeup. After a quick shower, you put up your hair into a bun and slipped into your uniform. It was cute, dark green and adorned with the logo and name of the bakery. 

Breakfast would be something you would do after the first few hours of working. You did manage to prepare some coffee and poured it into your reusable cup. Getting ready almost took place in a hypnotic trance. When you left your apartment and stepped onto the sidewalk you were greeted by ice cold air. You wrapped your scarf tighter around you and quickly walked to the subway. 

The ride only took twenty minutes, you spent it with watching some of the people around you and sipping your coffee. When your stop came you left the train and while walking up the stairs to the surface you checked your phone. You had tried to not spend too much time with it during the mornings, so you had not paid it any attention until now.

You were greeted by three messages by Lin. They had come in at quarter past eight, nine and eleven at night. You opened them, curious as to why he had texted you so many times.  
‘Hey, the show was great. I don’t know why I am telling you this. Will now go home and watch the end of Tangled. I have to see what I missed.’ You laughed and scrolled to the next text.

‘No answer… hm… I did start watching it? Are you asleep? Hello?!’  
He was really trying to reach you. Or so it seemed. Time for the last message.  
‘Ok, I just remembered that you have work tomorrow. Also, you definitely have to get up a lot earlier than I. I did finish Tangled. Liked it. I have of course watched it before. Also had another idea for our plan, BUT I will tell you all about it on Thursday. Sweet dreams and… I guess Good Morning!’

You typed back a ‘Good morning to you, too!’ and pushed open the door to the bakery. Lin was a weird, weird man. Cat was already in the kitchen and immediately attacked you with a small rant.  
“Thank god you’re here. I have already come up with a plan for our mission. I did call it ‘Making sure that Miss ‘I want to change everything’ gets what she wants’. She is the worst. Have I mentioned that? Arghhh!”, you laughed and put down your things.

“Calm down Cat. What do we have to do?”  
You loved your friend, but she tended to be a bit too dramatic. And you definitely met enough dramatic people over the weekend. You also decided to keep most of that to yourself, for now at least.

“Do you remember how we settled on the forest theme? Mind you, five weeks ago?! Butterflies, leaves and stuff like that? Well, she changed her whole concept. The wedding planner called me in tears. The new theme will be Ice Queen. Or something like that. We are lucky that most of the cake will be white, but we sill have to come up with new decorations. And she wants a sketch in-“, Cat looked at her watch, “Four hours.”

You took your friend’s hands.   
“No worries, I’ll come up with something and you can start with our everyday business, alright?"  
“Why are you so chilled?”  
“Nothing!”  
“Have you MET someone?! Oh, did you fall in love over the weekend? What is going on?!”  
“Um, I don’t know what you’re talking about?”  
“I am only letting you off the hook because I really need your talent now. I’ll come back to it though!”

You waved her off and Cat disappeared in the kitchen, while you took a seat at one of the tables. Your friend had already prepared some paper and colored pencils. It was time to design a new cake! You did hate that the client had changed the theme, but you were a bit more satisfied with the ice queen fantasy. 

After two hours of sketching Cat gently touched your shoulder and you almost cried out.  
“For heaven’s sake. Cat!”  
She smiled at you and offered you one of the pastries that she had just taken out of the oven.  
“That pastry is saving you right now”, you bit into it and the flavor of sugared raspberries immediately filled your mouth.  
“Good?”, Cat asked and you nodded enthusiastically. 

“Is that the cake?”, she looked at your sketch. You had tried to keep it simple.  
“I thought we’ll stick with the white cake. We can work with some blues. And I can form snowflakes out of melted sugar? Then we add some glitter?”  
Cat thought about it.  
“Let’s just send it to the planner. I am sure the bride will love it. If not she can bake her own damn cake.”  
“So cold”, you muttered and Cat took a picture of the drawing.

While she was busy sending it to the wedding planner and the bride, you checked your phone. It was half-past seven by now, but you had actually received an answer from Lin.  
‘Why are you awake at 5?!’  
‘Surprise. I was already at work at 5.’  
‘Oh god.’, he texted back and you sent him a picture of the sketch.  
‘I was busy coming up with a new cake for a client. Love changes that come up two days before a wedding.’

You quickly picked up the utensils, you would be opening the doors in a few minutes, so everything had to look great. One of your other colleagues had arrived, too. You did not really like Andrea, but she did a great job. She also liked to argue, so all difficult customers were stuck with her. While you made sure that you had no weird colored stains on your uniform or face, Lin had texted you back.

‘Ok, I might have to rethink getting married. I want one of those cakes!’  
‘You can just ask?’  
‘Don’t you think that getting fake married, or at least engaged, might be a bit too much?!’  
Wait, what?  
‘Wait, what? I was talking about asking for a cake.’  
‘Oh, my bad. Haha, forget that I wrote that.’  
‘Never!’

You laughed and Cat looked at you suspiciously from her working station.  
“I can see that you are smiling at your phone. What’s going on?”  
You could tell her a bit, right?  
“I just met someone over the weekend. A… friend introduced us. That’s all.”  
“That someone seems to be hilarious?”  
“He is great, I can tell you as much.”

“So great that your brother will accept him?”  
Right, you had told her about Stephan.  
“I don't know. By the way, he will be staying with me over the weekend.”  
“The new guy?!”  
“No, my brother. And his wife.”  
“Ouch, my sympathies.”  
“Thanks.”

This time it was Cat’s phone that started to ring. She answered it, her annoyed look told you enough. It was the client. Cat put the phone to her ear.  
“Hello? Mhm… Ok, so that’s a yes? Alright. Well, we will have to charge extra because of the last-minute change (that was a lie). I am sure, yes. Well, at least a fourth of the price. Thank you, we appreciate it. We’ll make sure to deliver on time. Thanks. Bye.”  
You knew that she had used every last inch of will in her body to sound nice, but when she hung up the phone she was fuming.

“The audacity! Well, at least she will pay us extra for this.”  
“So she accepted the design?”  
“Yup. You better get going. I am sorry that you have to do all of it, but you know that I have other things to take care of. I never dreamed that having a bakery would be so stressful.”  
You could already hear customers and just nodded.  
“It’s ok Cat. I’ll start immediately.”

While the sugar was cooking, it had to become liquid before you could work with it, you checked your messages again. Lin had gotten back to you.  
‘Ok, so I can get a cake? Pretty please?’  
‘Yes. I can bake one on Friday? Before my brother arrives. Might leave a good impression, too?’  
‘Sounds great, I’ll come up with something till then. And it will also contribute to our whole I met her because I wanted a cake story. Looking forward to it!’  
‘Just remember that I’ll be using your kitchen. And I won’t be bringing all of my equipment.’  
Now THAT sounded as if you were alluding to your body, you quickly typed out another text, ‘I am talking about kitchen stuff.’

You could practically hear him laugh and it took him a good minute to answer this time.  
‘Sure you do. I have to run now, but I will think about what kind of cake I want. And no worries, the equipment you have is more than enough.’  
He followed his text with a winking emoji and you felt your face grow hot. What was going on?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little Valentine’s surprise for all of you. Workload is crazy at the moment so it might take a teeny bit longer until I update again. I am working on it though :)

Monday and Tuesday went by in a heartbeat and you spent most of the time preparing the new wedding cake. Luckily, it was not the most outrageous cake, only the decorations took more time than you had planned. Making snowflakes out of melted sugar was a bit more complicated than you had anticipated, especially since they kept breaking in half. 

During these two days, you kept up your conversations with Daveed and Lin, while the former kept pressing you on information about what you thought about the charade you were about to perform, the latter cracked you up with jokes, but also talked about more serious things, like what to do if your brother was to find out that you were only playing him (which according to Lin was near on impossible, because he was a ‘really great actor’).

On Wednesday you were finally able to deliver that damned cake and by some kind of miracle, the bride was overjoyed when she saw it. You were glad, you definitely had not been ready to fight her on that matter and you still had to get home and bake something for Daveed. You had not forgotten your promise, and you also had not forgotten that he loved a good and traditional chocolate cake. 

Cat sent you a row of smiling emojis when you got back to her about the bride’s reaction and once again told you to take Thursday off completely. You had already arranged to be free over the weekend, but she wanted you to relax before your brother actually arrived. You were extremely grateful for her actions but also had to promise her to tell her everything about the new mysterious man in your life. 

Well, he was not that mysterious, you had been talking about Lin and even though you only had to play his devoted girlfriend, you already knew that this would be harder for you than you wanted it to be. Why did he have to be so great? You shook your head when these thoughts started to float around, you had to focus on other things. Daveed’s cake. The things you would take to Lin and so on. 

Your phone beeped, “Speak of the devil”, you muttered. It was Lin, this time, he was calling you.  
“Hello, Lin.”, you tried to not sound too much like you had just run a marathon. In reality, you had only decided to walk quickly from the subway to your apartment building, but since you had never been the athletic type, this had worn you out.  
“Hello, my darlingest (Y/N)! How are you?”, he sounded chipper.

“I am on my way home. Cat let me go after the wedding and I have an additional free day tomorrow. So, great day so far! Now I have to get back to my apartment and prepare a cake for Daveed. By the way, have you decided what you want on Friday?”  
Lin was silent for a bit but you could hear him pacing the room.

“I was thinking Funfetti? If that’s ok? I will go grocery shopping tomorrow so that we are ready for the rest of the week and I can get all the ingredients if you send them to me?”  
“Funfetti is more than ok. I really like that one too! I’ll send you the recipe in a bit, and thank you. Once again, I really appreciate what you are doing.”

“And let me tell you, once again, that you are more than welcome. Also, if you have a free Thursday, maybe you should stop by before the show? I have to be at the theater at 5, but we could prepare some stuff beforehand?”  
You thought about it. That was actually a great idea.  
“Ok, I can be at your place… at two maybe? Still have to pack and finish Daveed’s cake I reckon.”

“Sounds great. Maybe take an Uber? I don’t know how much you will bring, but that might be a great idea?”  
“Yup. I will only bring some clothes, they will not look through your closet. And a few things that I can leave around your place, but, as I said, my brother doesn’t really know a lot about me, he will not realize if something is missing. I guess the most important things are toiletries. And even with those, they will probably only use your guest bathroom?”

Lin had forgotten to tell you on Sunday that the guest room also came with a bathroom, so you would surely be safe from a deep investigation.  
“Ok, I’ll write it down… just a second… (Y/N) will arrive at 2. Check! And do send me that recipe!”  
“I will!”  
“We should probably start saying Love you, right? And even though we are not a couple, it still works! So, see you tomorrow and … love you I guess!”  
“Uhm, ok. Love you!”

It still felt weird to say something like this, but in less than two days you would have to tell him that you loved him for real. That was something that couples did, right? Your last relationship had been two years ago and you felt a bit rusty, to be honest. 

When you arrived at your apartment, you quickly searched for your favorite Funfetti recipe and took a photo of the ingredients to send it to Lin. He answered with a thumbs up emoji and you also shot Daveed a text telling him that you were baking something he really liked. In turn, he sent you a picture that showed him with a huge grin.  
‘Dork’, you texted back, but he knew that you meant it in an affectionate way.

You prepared most of what you needed to bake Daveed’s cake that night and went to bed quite early so that you had enough time to pack before you would drive to Lin’s the next day. When the morning sun woke you on Thursday you knew that today would be an exciting day. It was the last practice day for you and Lin, which suddenly made you remember that there was still that kissing topic. You shoved it to the back of your mind and quickly got ready (aka put on jeans, a sweater, and some makeup).

Remembering Lin's words, you ordered an Uber so that you did not have to stress about that. Mixing everything together for Daveed’s cake took about half an hour and while it was baking, you looked through your closet. Packing underwear was not that hard, you did not plan on showing anyone what you were wearing underneath your clothes, but you still had to pick other stuff that was cute for wearing around Lin’s apartment. After some time you came up with three outfits and two different pajama options. 

Emptying most of your bathroom cabinet also wasn’t hard, you did not have a lot of makeup and stuff like face wash was a no brainer. But what to take for everyday things? You packed your laptop, It would be weird to not have it. Also one of the only pictures you had of your family, it showed you almost 20 years ago on Christmas morning. You also put some books in your bag, as well as a scented candle and two other pairs of shoes, just to make sure. That would have to be enough. (‘Oh look at me making Hamilton puns in my head’ — unsurprisingly only you laughed in your empty apartment.)

When Daveed’s cake was ready, you let it cool while you prepared a frosting. It was a quick recipe but tasted amazing and when the cake was ready you gave it the finishing touch with a thick coat of sugary goodness. Your timing was perfect, ten minutes after finishing the cake your Uber driver let you know that you had arrived. You put on your coat and boots and tried to get down your stairwell as quickly as possible, with two big bags and a cake that should not be damaged.

“Two bags and a cake? You look busy!”, the man who was your driver helped you to stow away the bags and you took your seat inside the car, carefully cradling the cake.  
“Ready?”  
“Ready!”, you almost shouted and he raised an eyebrow.  
“Well, aren’t you enthusiastic?”

You chatted with him on your way to Lin’s, he was a nice man and told you about his fat cat that he had called George. He even showed you a picture and you decided that you would have to get a cat in the near future. When he stopped the car you were almost surprised that you had arrived.

You were definitely taken aback when you saw Lin waiting for you outside his building.  
“What are you doing outside? It’s freezing!”  
“I knew that you would be on time so I decided to come down and help with your luggage.”  
He was already on his way to the trunk and took out your bags. Your driver gave you a nod.  
“You have a good boyfriend Miss. Keep him!”  
“I— um, thank you I guess.”, you stammered and could hear Lin laugh behind you. With a wave, the driver and car went off and you turned around.

“Well done, we have to work on that. I hope that your brother will congratulate you too. I am a catch after all!”, Lin grinned and held the door for you.  
“Sure, I’ll practice that.”, you could not hide a smile and went up the stairs.  
When you arrived in Lin’s apartment you realized that he had cleaned the whole place.

“Lin, I told you that we could clean together. Do you remember that?”  
He put down your bags and shrugged.  
“I know, but I did not know what we might find, so I decided to take the safe route and do it on my own. Also didn’t want to put any more stress on you with your brother arriving in approximately 24 hours.”

You sighed, it was nice of him, but you also felt like he was doing much more than you, even though you were the one using him for impressing your brother.  
Lin pulled you to the kitchen and motioned for you to sit down.  
“Listen, Lin, thank you. You are doing so much and… I don’t know, I feel like I am taking advantage of your generosity.”  
“Don’t even try and make me buy that shit! Like I said about a million times, I am doing this for you and I knew that I would have to do some things for this plan to work. Sure, I have only known you for a few days, but I obviously like you, otherwise I would not do this. And because I like you, I will now make you a coffee.”

You appreciated his small gestures, it seemed like every time he got nervous he resorted to doing something for someone. Or word vomit. One of the two.  
“Should I put away my things while you prepare the coffee?”  
“Sure, I emptied a drawer in the small dresser in my bedroom. And you know where the bathroom is, just… let loose I guess!”

You quickly found the drawer and emptied your suitcase. It fit perfectly under Lin's bed and after you populated his bathroom with your products you only had to put your shoes next to his in the hallway. The laptop was still in the bedroom and you put the scented candle in the kitchen. Your family picture had found a place on a cupboard in his living room, where you went when you realized that he had moved there. You also put your books on his coffee table.

“It’s great that you brought a picture. Like planned, we will take a few in the theater today. And we can also take some selfies if Stephan or Diane should ask for them!”  
“Sounds great!”  
You took a seat next to him on the couch and he took out his phone.  
“Just… I don’t know? Smile? We should also change our phone backgrounds!”  
“I call dibs on a photo in the theater. In your costume.”  
"You in the costume?”  
“Didn't say that, but it’s a great idea!”  
“Let’s do it! I’ll settle for a comfy picture. Maybe… give me a kiss on the cheek? That would be a good one I guess!”

You followed his instructions, apparently taking a great picture was a lot of work. After what felt like 50 different angles he finally selected one and immediately put it as his home and lock screen.  
“Don’t show that to any fans”, you laughed.  
“They will all say that Red Beanie Girl has taken advantage of me!”  
You both laughed and you took a sip of the coffee he had put in your hands after your successful photo session.

“So, are you ready for tomorrow?”, Lin had relaxed into the cushions and you shrugged.  
“I don't know. I'll know when they arrive. I have not seen my brother for almost a year. Last time was Christmas last year, so… I don’t know what to expect.”  
“What about Diane? Is she… alright?”  
You sighed and put down the coffee.  
“She’s weirdly like the perfect clone of my brother. But, I have to admit that she’s a bit more fun. She likes musicals, so that’s a plus. Has my brother realized who you are by now?”

Lin shook his head, “No, but if Diane really is such a big fan of the show, she might when she sees me. Stephan told me that he will keep it from her as a surprise and apparently she only knows one of my first names, Lin.”  
“Any other names I should know about? Or weird facts?”  
Lin stroked his goatee, deep in thought.

“Well, my name obviously is Lin-Manuel. You can call me Lin.”  
“That’s so nice of you.”  
He chuckled, “I also don’t really like scary movies, but enjoy pineapple on pizza?”  
You laughed while he was desperately thinking of something else.

“That’s enough for now. Stephan will not know if we forget something. Now let me think… You know my name.”  
“I will come up with a weird nickname though, so be prepared!”, Lin interjected and you rolled your eyes.  
“I should have known that right?” — “Yup!” — “Ok… I actually like scary movies, so that could be a conflict. They are just always really bad, I don’t know how people get scared. But what do I hate? Hm… Since you picked something you like in the food department I will now reveal a secret. I do not really care for pancakes. Sorry.”

"Wait… what?!”, he looked genuinely shocked, “You do not like pancakes?!”  
“I never said I didn’t like them. I just don’t care for them a lot. I can eat them!”  
“I am so disappointed right now.”, Lin sighed dramatically and you laughed.  
“Come on. If you want pancakes you can still make some over the weekend!”  
“No, that ship has sailed.”  
“Ohhhh. Poor Lin!”

He could not suppress his smile anymore, “Ok, I give in. It’s a weird fact though.”  
“You asked for stuff like that!”, you defended yourself and he nodded. Then he took a look at his watch.  
“We still have an hour. Now, I don’t want to torture you, but we should talk about that kissing thing again.”  
You could feel yourself turn into a human tomato. A very ripe one. Lin was polite enough to not point it out.

“W-what about it?”  
“Would you rather practice here instead of the theater? At work, people could potentially disturb us. With people I mean Daveed.”  
The road from being funny to getting serious was apparently quite short, but you had expected it to come up at some point. Apart from sharing a bed, this was the thing you were most nervous about. Lin saw you swallow hard and tried to lift the mood.

“Come on. I am not that disgusting!”  
You let out a weak laugh, “It’s not you, it’s… I don’t know. You might be used to doing this, I am not. Let’s just say that I was never the adventurous type and there are no scandalous stories about me. I cannot even remember the last time I kissed someone.”  
“I do, yesterday, Phillipa! And Jasmine.”  
“Lin?” — “Yeah?” — “Not helping!”

He scooted closer to you and pulled you up so that you were standing in front of him. He was a bit taller than you.  
“Listen, I don’t want to stress you, but we have to do this. I don’t want you to freeze up when I touch you in front of your brother.” You both groaned, “Ok, that sounded really, really inappropriate. At least you are laughing now!”

He was right, you were laughing. Maybe this would not be too bad.  
“And I tend to be a bit handsy from time to time, just a warning. Some call me irritating, I think it’s charming. At least you are not flinching anymore when I take your hand.”  
“You are not some weird monster Lin.”  
“Well, you make me feel like one!”, he was laughing, but you immediately felt guilty.  
“Sorry.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that. Can you please laugh again? I don’t have a lot of hot chocolate anymore. Please!”  
You looked up to him again, you could see that he was not angry with you and took a deep breath.  
“Ok… how do you want to do this? I am, like I said, a bit nervous. But we have to get comfortable with this!”

“You can close your eyes and I can just… ambush you?”  
“Wow, romantic!”  
“Do you want me to put on some Michael Bublé? Candles? Shall I dim the sun?”  
You were both laughing again and you shook your head.  
“No, I prefer the sound of cars on the street outside when I kiss someone anyways.”  
“See, you can still try to be funny!”

“Try?”  
“Sorry. I’ll be silent now. So, close your eyes!”  
You took another deep breath and followed his instructions. Without being able to see, you suddenly felt vulnerable.  
“Do you trust me?”, Lin had gotten a bit closer. You nodded.  
“Yes.”

He did not say anything in return, but you felt him take your hand in one of his. His thumb was rubbing calming circles on the back of your hand and you relaxed noticeably. His other hand found your neck and he slowly pulled you a bit towards him. You could feel Lin’s presence in front of you, the warmth that he was radiating and felt a bit silly. You were just standing in front of him, but you were also way too nervous to take any initiative. 

You were definitely not prepared for the kiss. The second he pressed his lips to yours every articulate thought in your head just vanished. It was weird to feel his beard against your skin and you realized that you had never had a boyfriend that wore a beard. Lin let go of you and you opened your eyes just to find him looking down at you.  
“You do realize that you have to return the kiss right?”, he asked, smiling slightly.  
“Yes, I definitely forgot to do that.”  
“That’s because I am an amazing kisser!”  
“I was actually thinking about how I never really kissed someone with a beard.”  
“Do you want to destroy me?”, Lin laughed and you joined in.  
“Ok, once again. This time I might even keep my eyes open!”  
“So romantic.”, Lin agreed and once again leaned down to kiss you.

This time you returned the kiss. It was not the most passionate kiss, but it worked a lot better than your poor attempts at hugging him four days ago. Lin had not been lying, he was a good kisser, which was probably due to the regular exercise he got on stage. You put your arms around his neck which led to you being a lot closer to him than before. ‘This feels almost too good’, you mused while your lips moved against his.

The shrill sound of the doorbell interrupted your ‘practice’ time and Lin abruptly let go of you.  
“Who dares to interfere?!”, he blurted out and you laughed.  
“I don’t know. Maybe go and check!”  
He nodded and on his way to the door he turned to you again.  
“By the way, we should put your name next to mine on the door. And, I am quite satisfied (a wink) with the kissing.”

He vanished out of sight and you could hear him buzz someone in. He was right. The kissing was satisfying. Very satisfying. You had hardly done anything wild, but it felt good. There were definitely some very small but determined butterflies in your stomach. Oh oh.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more of a filler, I am sorry. But I am working on the next chapter, so stay tuned!

“It was my neighbor. Something about him being away for the weekend and if someone delivers a parcel I am supposed to take care of it. Rude disturbance if you ask me. Where were we? Ah, the kissing. So, what do you think?”, Lin had returned and was now looking at you. You had barely had time to process what had happened.

“Um… it was alright I guess?”  
“Alright?!”, he acted scandalized and you laughed.  
“To be honest, it was pretty great. I am happy that it went a lot better than our first real hug.”  
“Oh yes, that was a disgrace!”

Now you both laughed until Lin suddenly stopped and frantically looked at his phone.  
“Oh shit, we should get going. Don’t forget to take Daveed’s cake!”  
He immediately vanished in the bedroom and left you speechless. Why didn’t he want to talk more about the kiss? Right, because it was not a big deal. It was more of a job… or at least the charade you were practicing for your brother. Also, that man was frantic!

Slowly, you went back to the kitchen and put the cake into a bigger bag, ready to be taken to the theater. Lin joined you, now apparently looking for his scarf. He turned over some of the cushions on the bench near to the window.  
“Did you see my scarf?”  
“No, I didn’t. Where did you put it last?”  
“If I knew that I would not be searching, now would I?”  
“Snarky”, you commented and he stopped in his tracks, another cushion in his hands.

“Sorry, I sometimes get a bit weird when I don’t know where I put things. I feel like an old man — oh wait. I am old.”, Lin joked and you simply shook your head.  
He spent another few minutes looking for the scarf until he triumphantly returned, waving the garment in front of you.  
“Found it! And I also prepared this!”, he presented you with a small paper strip and you took it. On it, you read ‘(Y/L/N) / Miranda’.  
“Oh, for the door, right?”  
“Sí! I’ll put it there in a bit and, I don’t want to stress you out or anything, but we do have to get going right NOW!”

You quickly put on your coat, scarf, and red beanie and followed Lin out the door. He had put on a hat as well that mostly covered his long hair. You realized that you were slowly becoming obsessed with it, which was kind of weird. Lin stopped shortly to switch out the paper with his name for the new one and after that, you both made your way to the nearest subway station. 

“I just texted Daveed, he is ready for a little photo shoot, after that we will have the show. I could not get any tickets for you today, but if you want you can just wait backstage or I can give you my spare key, which you should get anyways, and you can go home?”, Lin took a deep breath after he crammed every bit of information in that one sentence. You had reached your destination and made your way up the stairs, always avoiding other people.

“I might just spend the first act backstage and get going after that? I am not really looking forward to leaving the theater while the stage door is packed. I want to get some sleep before tomorrow because I am already stressed out”, you admitted and he turned to you.

“Take a deep breath (Y/N). In… Out… We can do this. And, whatever you need, just say the word and I’ll try to come up with something.”, Lin watched you follow his instructions and once you calmed down a bit he put an arm around your shoulders and led you towards the theater. Luckily, only a few people were waiting in front of it and once they spotted Lin they started to behave nervously.   
“I’ll go inside, alright? See you in a bit and… thank you!”, you quickly said and Lin nodded, watching you walk towards the door while the fans approached him, asking for photos and autographs.

The guy who worked at the stage door recognized your face and let you pass without any questions. After climbing up the first flight of stairs you suddenly realized that you did not know where Lin’s dressing room was. You had seen it, alright, but you were definitely lost. There was only one solution, hoping that Daveed had arrived before you. You were also carrying his cake around, so you were basically killing two birds with one stone.

Daveed’s door was slightly ajar and you knocked softly, hoping that he would hear you.  
“Come in!”  
Daveed’s voice instantly made you relaxed and you entered the room, maybe a bit too enthusiastically since he almost jumped out of his chair.  
“Sweet baby Jesus! (Y/N)!”, you laughed at his shocked expression, but he quickly calmed down when he spotted the cake.

“I asked and you delivered! Blessed be our friendship!”, he got up and hugged you.   
“I am glad to see you, too!”, you mumbled against his chest, he was wearing one of his famous Oakland sweaters.  
“Did Lin let you go for a few minutes?”, Daveed took the cake from you and put it on a table, already trying to open it.

“Yeah, some fans were waiting for him. I did not feel like waiting, so I took flight I guess.” While you were explaining what had happened, Daveed had succeeded in opening the box. You could barely contain a smile when you realized that he had put out some forks in anticipation of receiving the cake.

His next sentence confirmed this, “I was looking forward to this all day. Come to Daddy!”  
The first bite of cake made him hum contentedly. You were happy that he liked it so much and sat down on the couch in his dressing room.  
“Oh, by the way, how did the kissing go? Or have you not practiced yet?”, Daveed took a seat opposite you, cake in hand and with an asking look on his face. You groaned.

“We did practice. It was… alright?”, you repeated what you had told Lin.  
“Only alright? Girl, I expected a bit more!”  
You sent a quick prayer to the gods that Lin was not around and listening to your conversation.  
“Listen, what am I supposed to say? I might have underestimated this whole operation a bit. I liked the kiss. I kind of like him. And that is” — “Wonderful!” — “No, it’s bad. Really bad.”

You sighed and Daveed raised an eyebrow.  
“Listen, I am all for you moping around. But there has to be a reason. So far, I am amazed that Lin is doing this at all. He is a tiny bit crazy but for most people, especially ones that he does not know for very long, he would not have done this. Hell, he even practiced kissing. From what you have told me, you have crossed most relationship milestones from any couple’s list. Cuddling, breakfast together, kissing, moving into an apartment, the only thing missing is you guys sleeping together.”  
“Daveed!”, you blurted out and he chuckled.

“Just saying!”, you rolled your eyes and after swallowing a huge bite of cake he continued, “But If you want to talk I am here, you know that right? Only a phone call away!”  
“I know. You are the best. Did I tell you that?”  
“Nope, but you brought me cake and I’ll take that over declarations of love any day!”

While you were laughing you could hear another knock on the door. Without waiting for an answer Lin burst into the room, obviously confused as to why you were laughing.  
“Are you talking about me?”  
“No, we were talking about cake! But, we will have to get these photos done!”, Daveed quickly jumped in when you were too stunned to answer. Why did he always surprise you?

“Right… we were thinking about (Y/N) putting on some of my clothes. The things I wear on stage. For her phone. And then we could just take one or two other pictures I reckon?”  
Daveed winked at you, “No big deal. What do you want to wear (Y/N)?”  
You shrugged, “I actually have not thought about that. I do like the green ensemble though.”, you mused, thinking back to your green dress. Lin must have remembered it too, he smiled at you and nodded.

“Great idea. I’ll just stay in my regular clothes then?”  
“You could also put on half of your costume and she can wear your coat? It would look cute.”, Daveed suggested and Lin suddenly seemed a bit nervous.  
“Half of my costume?”  
“Come on, you know what I am talking about! What did you call it? Full Stritch?”  
“That’s YOUR idea of a good photo opportunity?!”, Lin looked to you, looking for help.

“I really don’t know what you are talking about, so…?”, you shrugged.  
Daveed was eager to explain what was going on, “There is this one stage before really putting on the costume. Since the trousers we wear only go down to our knees, we have to wear thigh-high socks. They are very sexy. And when we put them on, we also put on the puffy blouses we wear. We basically look like fancy school girls… from the early 20th century.”  
"Wait, so only the blouse and socks?”, you checked and Lin nodded, it already dawned on him that he had to do this.

“Well, I do wear underwear and an extra shirt beneath the blouse, just for your information.”, he clarified and you nodded slowly.  
“I hate to say it, Lin. But, I do want to see that. And I think it would be a great photo. Don’t you agree?!”  
He sighed, “It would look kind of awesome. Under one condition! I want to post it to my Twitter feed, ok?”  
“If that’s all it takes.”, you agreed and he nodded.  
“Ok, let’s do this!”, Daveed was already halfway out the door when Lin stopped him.

“Wait, I am not ready to strip down in front of my pretend girlfriend. Give me… ten minutes!”, he vanished and Daveed went back into the room.  
“This will be amazing. I can already see it. I am a visionary!”  
“Sure.", you added and stole a bite of the cake. It was made by you, so why shouldn't you get something out of it, too?

"Hey, that’s mine!”, Daveed protested and you only shrugged. He watched you eat another bite and then took his plate away from you.  
“Enough is enough!”, you laughed at his shrieking, Daveed was hilarious when he started to get possessive. Especially when everything revolved around a cake.

You spent the promised 10 minutes play-arguing about your fair share of cake, after that Daveed and you were on your way to Lin’s dressing room. You knocked and the door opened slowly. It took a lot to not burst out laughing.   
“Don’t you dare start laughing. I know that I look… less than handsome!”, Lin waged his finger at you and only managed a shaky nod. Daveed, on the other hand, let out a small huff.

“Come in, the coat is over there!”, Lin ushered you into his room and locked the door behind you. You immediately spotted the coat and turned back to Lin.  
“Can I put my stuff in this corner?”, you had brought your winter coat and bag. He nodded and you looked at him again. Maybe a bit too long because he raised both eyebrows at you and started to slowly spin.

“Seen everything you needed to see?”, he was back to grinning and you nodded. He was indeed only wearing his blouse which came down to the middle of his thighs. The socks ended shortly above his knees and you chuckled.  
“It looks like you are wearing medical stockings!”  
“Haha, I know. You wanted this! You will have nightmares about this look!”

“Guys, calm down. Come on (Y/N), get dressed, the show is about to start in… one hour and we have to get these pictures done!”, Daveed waved your phone in the air and you took the green coat from its hanger. The material was even more gorgeous up close.  
"I do love this color.”, you admitted and slipped into the coat. It did not fit your shoulders and ended a bit lower down the legs than it would have when Lin wore it.

“That looks a lot better than my current outfit.”, Lin commented and you smiled, “It does suit you.”, he continued and you could feel your cheeks growing hot. Damn him and his nonchalant ways of complimenting people. Didn’t he once claim that he was awkward?!

“Ok, what were you thinking in terms of posing? Lin, what will get you likes on Twitter?”, Daveed asked and you rolled your eyes.  
“Come on guys!”  
“It’s a legitimate question!”, your friend protested. Lin thought about it for a few seconds.  
“What about…”, he started, but Daveed interrupted him, “I have a great idea! Lin, can you carry her?”  
“Wait.. what?”, you were, once again, confused.

“Like, bridal style? What are you talking about?”, Lin seemed to be equally confused.  
“That’s no fun. I was thinking about piggy-back!”, his suggestion was met with silence. Lin turned to you.  
“I can try?”  
“Are you implying that I am too heavy?”, you asked and he shook his head.  
“Just saying… I am not really someone who is great at lifting… anything.”, he explained and you laughed.

“Lin, just crouch and (Y/N) jump on his back! If you fail, it will be fun nonetheless!”  
Lin and you looked at each other and he nodded slowly.  
“Let’s do it. As long as I am not flashing anyone, we should be fine!”  
“Is that a legitimate thing that could happen?!”, you asked, but he was already getting into position.

“Ok, one, two, three!”, Daveed counted down and you jumped on Lin’s back. For a short moment, you feared that he would just fall over but he managed to balance your weight on his back.  
“Look at me. I am not as weak as I thought I was!”  
“And you are not flashing anyone! Now, look like you’re having fun!”, Daveed instructed and you let your chin rest on Lin’s shoulder, your arms firmly clasped around the upper part of his chest.

“Ok, these pictures are great, Lin, maybe look a bit disgruntled in the next one, that would be amazing for Twitter. Caption reads something like 'Who stole my clothes?’ Perfect! I think we got it.”, Daveed was looking at you with a proud expression and you let out a breath that you had been holding for almost a minute now.  
“Lin? You can let me down now.”, you whispered and he moved slightly. You could feel him lose his grasp on you and once you tried to slide down his back, you accidentally kicked him in the back of his knees.

“What are you—“, Lin did not get a chance to finish his sentence, your kick had thrown him off balance and you both fell to the ground.  
“Oofff”, was all you could manage once you hit the floor. Lin immediately rolled over and clutched his chest, trying to breathe between bursts of laughter. The blouse had ridden up and exposed a bit of his hip, you were glad to see that he was indeed wearing underwear. You lay next to him and reluctantly started laughing too.

However, none of your laughs matched Daveed’s, he was doubling over, trying to stay upright.  
“Guys, this is… amazing! Stay there, I have to take another picture!”, he calmed down for a second and took a few snaps, only to start laughing again.  
“Ok, this is getting uncomfortable.”, Lin started to get up and helped you stand.  
“Can we see the pictures?”, you asked and Daveed handed you your phone, still snickering.  
“I am glad to see that you are thoroughly entertained!”, Lin commented and tried to catch a glimpse at your phone.

Daveed had been right, the piggy-back pictures were great, especially the one in which Lin looked a bit grim. The ones with you on the floor were also hilarious and Lin asked you to send him the grim picture and one of you on the floor. You followed his request and Daveed cleared his throat.  
“What about other pictures?”  
“Wait a minute…”, Lin was furiously typing on his phone and a minute later yours vibrated with a notification that you had been linked in a picture he had just posted.

The first one showed you on his back with the caption that Daveed had suggested, the other was one that was simply captioned with “Apparently even the strongest man sometimes meets a worthy opponent”.  
“Real charming Lin!”, you remarked and looked up. He was already back in his jeans and hoodie.  
“Wait, how did you do that?”  
“I am like a reverse Chippendale. I can put on clothes in a matter of seconds.”, he explained and you laughed.

“Time to take a few other pictures, then I have to get ready. Since Daveed has been an amazing photographer so far, what do you suggest?”  
Daveed looked from you to Lin and while he came up with something you put the coat back on its hanger. The fear of accidentally destroying it was suddenly very real, especially since the garment had been lying on the floor just minutes ago.  
“I was thinking, maybe you on your chair? And (Y/N) can sit on the make up table. Just… I don’t know? Laugh? And then we can take a picture of you two on the couch sleeping? You can definitely put one of those in a frame and sell it as a cute picture.”

“Excuse you, we are cute!”, Lin protested and you hopped onto the make up table. He took a seat and looked up to you.  
“Ok, what could I say to make you laugh?”  
"I don't know, Daveed, do you have an idea?”, you looked to your friend, he had already started taking pictures, this time with his phone, since yours was back in your handbag.  
“Nope, just… I don’t know, pinch her Lin?”

“What?!”, before you could say anything against the request Lin had pinched your calf and you let out a shrill screech. He rubbed the spot on your leg but started laughing and you could not help but join.  
“Did not expect this to work. They sometimes pinch babies for movies, did you know that? They’ll cry after some time."  
"I am just glad that (Y/N) didn’t start crying!”

“Ok, now hop on the couch, the clock is ticking!”, Daveed ushered you to the piece of furniture and Lin proceeded to lie down.  
“Get on top of him (Y/) and I don’t mean this in a dirty way! This is not some kind of porn production after all!”  
“Daveed…”, you groaned and tried to get comfortable. Lin even had a blanket. You raised an eyebrow at him.  
“What? I sometimes take a nap between shows!”, he defended himself and you smiled, putting your head on his chest.

“Guys, aaaaaaaand SLEEP!”  
“No one can sleep with you yelling!”, you protested but followed Daveed’s instructions. Lin had put his arms around you and you realized that you had never been this close to him. Your legs were entangled with his and you tried not to put too much weight on him.  
“Relax”, Lin murmured above you and you tried to calm down. It was not working that well, but your performance apparently sufficed.

“Ok, I am done here and I need to get going. I’ll send you the pictures (Y/N)! Are you around after the show?!”  
Lin and you sat up and you shook your head, “I was planning on leaving during the break but I might just get going now.”  
“I’ll see you tomorrow then?”, when you nodded Daveed walked over to you and gave you a quick kiss on your forehead.   
“See you!”, he was gone in a heartbeat and you looked at Lin.

“Don’t look at me. He is weird and you know that. But I think he managed to take some great pictures!”  
“I think so, too! Sorry by the way, if that was uncomfortable for you.”  
“What?”  
“Everything? You had to carry me!", you explained and he stopped you with a wave of his hand.  
“That was nothing. We already gathered a good amount of likes on Twitter though. And many ask if you are my girlfriend. Oh look, they even used your hashtag. You should change your username to red beanie girl.”“I might!”, you laughed and got up.

There was a knock on the dressing room door and a woman entered.  
“Lin? You have to get ready, I have the mic and — why aren’t you in costume yet?!”  
“My bad, I’ll get ready. (Y/N), here’s the key, do you know how to get to the apartment?”  
“Sure, I’ll find it!”, you took the key and put it in your handbag.

“I’ll be home at around midnight I think. Feel free to use my bed, you will need every ounce of energy for the weekend!”  
You sighed, “I know. Ok. I’ll get going. And Lin? Thank you… again!”  
“No worries. See you!”, Lin hugged you and you put on your coat and hat. The costume lady almost shooed you out of the room and you caught Lin’s amused expression before the door closed.

There were a lot more people in front of the theater this time, but most of them were waiting to be let inside, so nobody paid you any attention. The subway was fairly crowded and you spent most of the ride squished between a middle-aged man and a group of teenage girls. When you finally reached your stop you could not wait to get back to the apartment.

It was actually extremely weird to be alone in Lin’s home and you decided to start your night with a hot shower, maybe that would calm your nerves. Your stress levels were already rising and you could not believe that your brother was to arrive the next morning. There was also the small factor that you actually enjoyed spending time with Lin, even though it was limited.

Once you got out the shower you checked your phone. Lin had texted you, asking if you arrived at his place safely. You sent him a quick reply, telling him that you were already in your pajamas. They had to be in the middle of the first act at that moment and you scrolled down, seeing that Daveed had sent you the pictures for which you thanked him. Lin had one of these weird wireless printers that were able to print out the pictures from your phone. He had already printed out the one from the bar and you looked at the ones Daveed had sent you. 

After some contemplation, you decided to go with one of the smiling piggy-back pictures, one of you lying on the floor, the makeup table and finally one of you sleeping. They were all printed out as polaroids and you put the sleeping and piggy-back ones on Lin’s fridge. Another one found its way into the living room and you put the rest on Lin’s cupboard with his family pictures. You liked looking at them for a bit until your tiredness started to make you a bit drowsy.

Lin had told you to sleep in his bed, so you went to the bedroom and quickly made yourself comfortable. It was weird to be lying in his bed, he had washed the bedding, you could smell the detergent, but the room itself smelled so much like Lin.   
“Oh no… this is how it starts… don’t be stupid!”, you chastised yourself and checked your phone one last time before sleeping. Both guys had texted you back.

‘Glad to hear that you are getting comfortable. I wish I could be in pajamas right now, these collars are killing me. I bet you’ll be going to bed soon, so good night. I’ll see you in the morning!’, Lin had attached a picture of him, gesturing to his collar. You smiled and answered with a simple, ‘See you too, good night!’

Daveed, on the other hand, had sent you one more picture, attached to it was a short text,  
‘Thought I’d send you this one, too. I think Lin might kind of like you, too!’  
You snorted and opened the picture. It was one of the ones Daveed had taken of you and Lin before the ‘official session’ started. You were already sitting on the make up table and apparently talking to Daveed, he had captured you mid-sentence. Lin was staring at you, a small smile on his face. 

‘You are seeing things Daveed.”, you texted back and waited for an answer. In the meantime you changed your home and lock screen to the piggy-back picture and when you were finished Daveed had answered.  
‘Just saying, he looks as if he likes looking at you. ;) Have to get back on stage now, time to unleash the Jefferson!’

‘Dream on’, you replied, he had to be joking. Sure, Lin looked happy in the picture, but he must have thought about something else. He could not possibly start liking you, too! You set an alarm and put your phone away. Tomorrow your brother would arrive. And Diane. You shuddered and snuggled down in the fluffy blanket, in the end, you could only hope that everything would work out fine.


	11. Chapter 11

Lin had been right about his nightmare prediction. You did dream of the weird stage between normal clothing and the costume. Suddenly you were wearing it and you were chased by a dog. When it finally got you and bit your leg, the same spot where Lin had pinched you, you woke with a start. It was still dark outside and you needed some time to catch your breath.

“What time is it?”, you had this habit of talking to yourself when you were confused and started looking for your phone. The screen was extremely bright but you could see that it was barely seven o’clock in the morning. You also realized that Lin was not sleeping next to you. Where was he? You had not talked about sleeping arrangements on Thursday night but if he was not in bed with you, he must have slept in the guest bedroom. 

Afraid of making too much noise, you got up and put on the fluffy socks you had brought. Now, the question of Lin’s whereabouts remained. You slowly opened the door to the bedroom and padded over to the guest room. The door stood slightly ajar and there was no one in the bed. You looked around, that was weird.

Even weirder was that you could definitely hear Lin’s snoring. He had not downplayed this fact about himself. You followed the sounds to the living room, where you spotted him lying on the couch, covered by a blanket. It was a big couch, but he still looked uncomfortable. 

You thought about waking him up, but he looked tired, the bags under his eyes must have turned into a permanent feature on his face by now. Your brother and his wife were scheduled to arrive at 12 and you still had plenty of time until then. In conclusion, you let Lin sleep and walked out of the room, closing the door behind you quietly.

Since you were awake now, you decided to get ready. After a quick shower, you put your wet hair into a weirdly shaped bun and were on your way to the kitchen. You could hear commotion outside, New York never really slept and people were starting to wake up and go about their business. You were wearing leggings and a big sweater, remembering that you still had to bake a cake. You were set on starting early and since Lin was still sleeping, you had to do most things by hand.

Preparing the batter for a Funfetti cake was not that hard and you were fast when it came to mixing ingredients, even by hand. It still took you about half an hour since you had to look for numerous things in Lin’s kitchen. It was not the biggest you had ever worked in, your parents were dedicated cooks in their free time and you grew up in a spacious house, but Lin was prepared for many situations when it came to meals and, apparently, baking. 

After putting the cake in the oven you sat down at the kitchen table, sunlight had started to shyly creep into the room and hit your face. You enjoyed the sun, at least the weather was happy on the day your brother arrived. You sighed, although you were beginning to feel extremely nervous, it was not only your brother’s arrival that had you turn a bit crazy. Would you be able to pull off the show with Lin? And then you would have to deal with your own strange feelings towards Lin, but that would have to wait.

Immersed in your own thoughts, you had not realized that the door to the kitchen was starting to swing open.  
“(Y/N)? I smelt cake?”, Lin was standing in the doorway, rubbing his eye. It reminded you of last Sunday.  
“Yeah, I woke up at 7 and did not know what to do with my time. Sorry if I woke you up.”  
“No worries, I did not plan on sleeping in. It’s half past eight now, I would say that’s decent. Do you want coffee? I can make some before I get ready. From the look of your wet hair, you are already one step ahead of me!”

Before you could respond, Lin had started to fire up the coffee maker, patiently waiting for it to start brewing. You watched in silence and did not break it until he put your first cup of the day in front of you. He even added two spoons of sugar and some milk, just as you liked it.  
“Thank you.”, you quietly said and took the first sip.  
“I think I remembered the way you took your coffee. Was I right?”  
“Pretty much spot on, nice job!”

He smiled at you over his own coffee cup. A comfortable silence stretched between the two of you, which was only broken when you had to get up and check on the cake.  
“That smells amazing. Any chance that I can get a piece before your brother arrives?”  
“No, it will destroy the whole look of the cake. You can get a bit of frosting once I get that going!”  
“Deal.”

You sat down again, Lin had started rotating is shoulders.  
“You could have slept in your own bed, you know that right?”  
“I did not want to burden you with my presence before you have to endure it.”  
You snorted, “Right. Well, why didn’t you take the other bed? In the guest bedroom?”  
“Did not want to make it messy. I did sleep well, it’s just my old man body that’s complaining.”  
“You act like you’re 60, Lin.”

He laughed and you finished your coffee, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was nine, time to check your phone. You had indeed received a text from your brother and opened it reluctantly.  
‘Thank god for wifi on planes. We’ll arrive at the estimated time, just for your information.’

No love you or anything like that, typical. Lin watched you reading the message and waited until you spoke.  
“It’s my brother. Their flight will be on time.”  
“Just tell him that a driver will be waiting for them, I arranged for one. I cannot wait to see your sister-in-law’s face when she realizes that she will see Hamilton. With me!”  
He did an over exaggerated bow and you chuckled.  
“Alright, just let me text him back.”

After sending the message you put your phone away and stretched. The cake was done baking and Lin helped you get it out of the oven.  
“I’ll catch a shower now, you can watch something on TV if you want to? After that, the bathroom is yours again.”, he only left after you nodded and after a few minutes you could hear the shower running. You tried to not think about him in there and sat down at the kitchen table once again.

‘My brother is on his way. I don’t know if I am ready for this.’, now Daveed had to deal with your nerves. It only took him ten minutes to get back to you.  
‘Your brother, or Lin?’  
‘Haha, very funny.’, you shot back, making your way to the bedroom, you had to look for something to wear.  
‘So both?’, was Daveed’s answer and you sighed. He was right.

‘Basically, I am afraid of my brother finding out that I am acting out this whole thing. I also want it to work. And I am starting to really like Lin, which is troubling.’  
You decided on black jeans and a burgundy turtleneck, simple would be the best way to handle this.  
“(Y/N)?”, Lin had entered the bedroom and you turned around. You were definitely not prepared for seeing him in only a towel and from the look on his face, he had not expected you either.

“Well, this is awkward.”, you commented and he grinned.  
“Especially since I look like a drowned rat. So much for a good impression.”  
While he was talking you were looking him up and down, Lin was not the most athletic person but he looked good. His hair was dripping on the floor, it was even longer weighed down by water.  
“Ok, you do not look like a drowned rat, but I have to ask. Doesn’t the long hair bother you from time to time?”

He laughed out loud, “It does, actually. But it suits Hamilton. And I like to believe that it suits me, too. Although I did hear that the infamous man bun does lead to baldness.”  
You were joining his laughter now and he walked over to his wardrobe. After catching your breath you got a hold of your clothes.  
“I’ll just put on some makeup, try to do something with my hair, and let you get dressed.”  
“Appreciate it.”, Lin shot back and you slipped out of the room.

‘Ok, Lin actually walked into the room I was in, only clad in a towel. Help.’, you quickly typed out another text to Daveed and put down your phone. You had also forgotten about your new phone background. You loved the picture, that much was true. Since you did not really have any time to waste, you quickly put on your clothes, applied some makeup, and blow-dried your hair until it looked almost presentable. After putting some oil in it the whole situation looked a whole lot smoother.

Lin was back at the kitchen table when you returned, his hair had dried quite a bit and started to curl at the ends. You tore your eyes away from him and took a look at the cake. It had cooled down and was ready for the frosting from the look of it.  
“Aren’t you proud that I resisted taking a bite from that beauty?”, Lin asked and you turned back to him. He had also put on some clothes, instead of wearing one of his baggier pair of jeans he had gone for a darker and more fitted model and a gray sweater.

“So, so proud.”, you said and grabbed one of the bowls you had put out in preparation. Making the frosting took almost no time and as promised, you put a little bit on a saucer for Lin.  
“This is for you, just tell me if it tastes good!”  
He took the saucer and a teaspoon and put some of it in his mouth. From the look on his face, it was good, but you still waited for him to say it.

“Ok, this is amazing. If that cake is half as good I will give Diane and Stephan one piece to share and lock myself in a room with the rest! I also had no breakfast so I am really looking forward to the cake.”, he smiled up at you.  
“Ok… that sounds good. This is great. It will all be good.”, you took a deep breath and started to spread the frosting on the cake. Lin watched you intently. 

“Lin… can you look somewhere else please? You are making me nervous.”, you finally said. He got up and walked over to you.  
“The cake looks fine. And like you said, this is great, it will all turn out to be good, ok?”  
Lin unexpectedly hugged you from behind and you had to muster all your willpower to keep frosting the cake. He let go of you again and walked over to the fridge, checking its contents.

“To be honest, I did buy enough for breakfast and maybe one dinner. I plan on taking Stephan and Diane out today before the show and on Sunday for lunch. Is that alright with you?”  
“Sure, more time with them outside the apartment. That’s great!”  
Lin nodded slowly and you took one last look at the cake. It looked amazing. And it was half-past eleven by now. Only half an hour to go.

“I’ll make sure that everything is ready.”, Lin left the kitchen and went to the guest room, while you were still fussing with the cake. A text informed you that your brother and Diane were on their way and Daveed had also gotten back to you.  
‘You can do this girl! And I just want to say this now, I know that Lin and you would be amazing together, so don’t blow it.’  
You laughed, he really knew how to lift your spirits.

“Checked everything and I think we are in the clear. Now… are you ready for this?”, Lin had returned and looked at you, almost concerned.  
“I think so. Even if it were different, I cannot change it now so I will have to deal with it.”  
“Just let me know when it becomes too much. If you feel overwhelmed at any point just… I don’t know, oh, you could mention something? In a sentence?”  
You nodded thoughtfully, “But what would I say? Something I wouldn’t say by accident or that is so absurd that Stephan will question me?”

You were both thinking about it, it was actually hard to come up with something, but suddenly Lin’s face lit up.  
"Got it! Just say something about pancakes? Since you don’t like them, you would hardly bring them up, right?”  
“That’s a good idea. Ok, safe-word pancakes!”, you confirmed and Lin smiled.  
“Great! And if you cannot talk just pinch my thigh, that will alert me!”  
“I will definitely pinch you at some point!”, you laughed and Lin made a defensive gesture.

The next few minutes crept by and you kept an eye on the clock. The queasy feeling in your stomach did not go away, it grew with every minute that passed and Lin, obviously sensing your nervousness, made sure that the coffee was brewing.  
“Your brother and Diane can drink a cup and you definitely look like you need one. I am excited to finally meet your brother. From your behavior and the stuff you and Daveed have told me, I cannot wait to argue with him.”

You smiled weakly but accepted the cup he presented you with. ‘Calm down, calm down’, was your personal mantra for the day and when the doorbell finally rang, you nearly jumped.  
“Showtime… Darling. No, that’s wrong. Hmmm… I’ll go with Love.”, Lin mused and you smiled. He really tried to keep your thoughts away from what was about to go down.

When Lin opened the door, you could already hear your brother complain about the stairs.  
“Why is there no elevator in this building? Let’s hope my sister managed to at least find a suitable apartment.”  
Lin looked over to you, raising an eyebrow.  
“Told you so”, you whispered and he only nodded.

After a few seconds you spotted your brother's dark hair, Lin had retreated back into the apartment, waiting for the visitors and making sure that the coffee was not getting cold. Stephan finally reached your story, followed by Diane. She had not changed since the last time you saw her, probably due to the Botox she was using regularly, but she at least tried to smile at you.  
“Hey, Stephan.”, you wanted to sound cheerful, it worked a little bit. Your brother put down their bags and gave you a stiff hug.  
“Good to see you”, he mumbled and turned to his wife.

Diane continued to look at the staircase, “This is a nice apartment complex.”  
“Your boyfriend must be paying for it, right? With your baking job.”  
You willed yourself to stay calm and smiled at Stephan.  
“It is taken care of, but please, do come in.”, you took a step to the side and Diane entered before your brother. She also took off her shoes immediately and put her coat on a hanger. She was not that bad, to be honest, but never tried to stand up to your brother. Weirdly, you could always see that they were in love, you did not know how she survived living with him.

“Do I smell coffee? I am really tired. And Stephan told me you and your boyfriend would treat us to a Broadway show tonight?!”, Diane was obviously excited and while Stephan followed her example and took off his shoes and coat, you helped her put the bags in their room.  
“It’s a nice apartment.”, she said, desperate to fill the silence. Stephan joined you.  
“Well, it looks adequate in here. When will we meet your infamous boyfriend?”  
“He’s making coffee, if you want, you can put your stuff away. After that, just follow the coffee scent. There’s a small bathroom over there!”

They apparently needed a few minutes to get settled in, so you made your way to the kitchen. Lin looked up when you opened the door further, expecting your brother and his wife to follow you.  
“Where are they?”  
“Settling in I guess. But Diane is dying for some coffee, so we won’t be alone for long.”

You leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing your arms. Lin let the coffee be and walked up to you. When he was in front of you, he simply pulled you into a hug and you let your forehead rest against his shoulder.  
“He already declared that I would never be able to pay rent for an apartment like this. And he is right. I don’t know how I am supposed to survive this weekend…”, you sighed while Lin rubbed your back.  
“I am here, too. Tomorrow they’ll be out after lunch and on Sunday they’ll be gone before you know it, alright?”

You nodded stiffly against his chest, taking a deep breath.  
“Are we interrupting something?”, Stephan suddenly appeared in the doorway, followed by Diane.  
“No no, I am just tired. So, um… welcome, I guess?”  
Lin let go of you and turned to your brother and sister-in-law. Stephan walked up to him, shaking his hand, you could see that he was trying to give an extra firm clasp, but Lin did keep a straight face and acted friendly towards him.

“Hi, I am Lin, (Y/N)’s boyfriend. We are happy to host you over the weekend!”  
Stephan was taken aback by the cheerful attitude and only nodded. You looked from him to Diane, who was staring at Lin with what could only be described as a gaping mouth. Stephan noticed that she was not moving and looked at his wife.  
“Diane, what is wrong?”  
“I… uh… Stephan… you did not mention that your sister’s boyfriend is Lin-Manuel Miranda?!”

“Lin-Manuel Miranda? Why does that name ring a bell?”, Stephan looked from his wife to you and finally back to Lin, who only shrugged, a smile on his face. Diane finally made a step towards him.  
“I am so, so honored to meet you, Mr. Miranda. Lin? Can I call you Lin? Oh wait, are we watching Hamilton tonight?!”, she was squealing by now and you could not help but smile. It was kind of cute to see her so excited.

“Yes, I would be happy to take you. I already talked to Stephan about it and (Y/N) will show you where I work!”  
“I need an explanation.”, Stephan piped up and Diane faced him.  
“Stephan. He is the guy who wrote Hamilton. You know the show, right? It’s super successful. He also has a Grammy, and a Tony, he is AMAZING!”  
Your brother was clearly not used to seeing Diane act in this way, he did not know what to say or do.  
“Congratulations I guess?”, he murmured and once again shook Lin’s hand.

“Thanks, thanks. But, I don’t want to be the weird guy in here, so just call me Lin. I am, after all, (Y/N)’s boyfriend and in my opinion, that’s much more special than the other stuff”, you snorted after he had finished his little speech and Diane grinned at you.  
“Well done (Y/N)!”, she was still excited and almost bounced towards the table.  
“Take a seat Darling.”, Stephan instructed her and you motioned for him to take a seat, too.

“I baked a cake.”  
“Obviously.”, your brother commented and you turned to the cake, and Lin, so that Stephan could not see you rolling your eyes. Lin, under the pretense of helping you, sidled up to you.  
“Well, he is a delight.”, he murmured and you smiled.  
“I did warn you.”  
“I know… but… A Grammy, come on! That has to mean something, right? Why isn’t he impressed?!”

You shrugged and carried the cake over to the table, Lin was following you with plates and a huge knife.  
“Looks great (Y/N)!”, Diane smiled at you. Why was she so nice? She had always been alright, but this was weird. Well, you attributed her behavior to meeting Lin and that was something you could totally get behind.

“It should look great Diane, she bakes for a living”, your brother, on the other hand, was as charming as ever. He had gained a few more pounds and you could see some gray hairs on his head, but he had always been handsome. Diane and he were a match made in heaven, you were glad that he was happy in his marriage, but that did not change the fact that he was never really happy for you.

Lin let you cut the cake and you gave everyone a piece. Diane immediately started wolfing down everything on her plate, not even Lin could keep up with her and he was definitely hungry without having breakfast. You ate a few bites, every time you spent time with your brother appetite was not really something that had priority. Your looked at Stephan.  
“So… how are you? Do you like the cake?”

He blinked at you.  
“Yes, it’s ok. Diane seems to really enjoy it. We are great. The firm is doing good, the house is coming together, all is well.”  
Diane waited for him to finish until she started speaking again, “So, how did you meet? How does one meet a Broadway genius?!”  
You opened your mouth, but Lin stopped you by putting a hand on your shoulder, “Let me tell it, you still have cake left!”

Diane hung on every word, which actually earned you a raised eyebrow by your brother, but he was also listening to the tale that you and Lin had come up with.  
“Soooo. I will not rap about this, you will see enough of me trying to be cool tonight. Well, I needed to order a cake for a birthday and a shared friend of ours (he did not mention Daveed for which you were grateful, your brother would be livid once he spotted him on stage) recommended the bakery in which (Y/N) works. We went over there and had a consultation and I immediately liked her.”

He took a breath and smiled at you. He really embraced this role, if you did not know better, you would have sworn that he was smitten with you.  
“After we met for a second time, namely when I collected the cake, I begged her to go out with me.”  
“Why?”, your brother interjected and Lin turned to him.  
“Why wouldn’t I? She is gorgeous. And very hard working and charming. I respect that.”  
Stephan was silent after that and let Lin continue.  
“Since I am definitely not the sexiest man alive, I had to do some convincing, but she finally went on a date with me, right?”

“Yes, you do have a way with words.”, you agreed and smiled at him. Lin had moved closer to you, his arm was resting on the backrest behind you and you felt a lot more secure that way.  
“And how long have you been dating?”, Diane really wanted to know the whole story.  
“Must have been about six months now, no? I did move in with him after four months, it was a lot easier that way, especially since Lin is working nights and this way we can wake up together.”

Now it was your turn to smile at Lin.  
“That’s so romantic.”, Diane commented and Lin got up to get some more coffee. When he returned, he leaned down to you and gave you a quick kiss on the cheek.  
“So far she is not regretting moving in with me”, he said and sat down again.  
“You do snore really loudly though.”, the dig earned you a playful kick against your shin.

Stephan cleared his throat and all attention suddenly focused on him.  
“I am glad to see that you have finally found someone (Y/N), you seem to match well and I am looking forward to seeing your work tonight, Lin.”  
Lin turned to you, a ‘Look, I was able to influence him in a positive way’ expression on his face. But your brother wasn’t finished.

“(Y/N) really only ever dated weird guys, or men that were way too old for her. In her younger days least. It’s also great that you have found someone who can support you (Y/N), this baking business will never be enough for you to stay afloat, and since good looks are definitely fading, congratulations on preempting that situation.”  
Oh, he had not changed, was now a good time to pinch Lin?


	12. Chapter 12

For a minute no one said anything. You felt Lin stiffen beside you, he had definitely not expected something like this. His hand, which was still on the backrest behind you, had begun to slowly stroke your back, apparently in an effort to give you some comfort. Even Diane was embarrassed by her husband, she was staring at her plate.

“Thanks for that Stephan.", you finally said and he looked over to you.  
“What? It’s the truth. First, you wanted to become a musical actress and you really weren’t good enough for that. Do you remember Daveed? He put that bee in the bonnet. Well, who knows what he is up to nowadays, probably chasing jobs?”  
You swallowed hard and Lin shifted next to you as if he wanted to say something. You put a hand on his thigh, indicating that it was your turn.

“You are right Stephan, I was never good enough to be a professional actress or a singer. I still enjoy it and I do not sound too bad. Am I still struggling because of this? Yes, because I would love to be talented enough to do anything in that industry. But now I get to see it from backstage and I am happy to have met Lin. There are times when I feel like I have given up on a big chance, and even if it was ‘only’ something creative, I mourn that. But I have found something else. I sing while baking, I enjoy good shows. And I am successful in what I am doing. I am working on my career and I know that you will never be proud of what I am. But please, for the sake of this weekend, stop insulting everything I do.”

Another long silence followed your speech. You did not know where to look and resigned to staring at your own plate. You had not realized that your fist was clenched, but Lin had put his hand over yours and when you had a look at his face, he was smiling at you. Finally, Diane cleared her throat and started to speak.

“So, what’s the plan for today?”, maybe a change of topic was the best idea. Lin looked at his phone, calculating how many hours were left until you had to be at the theater.  
“We could grab dinner somewhere in a few hours and after that, the show calls.”  
Diane nodded, stifling a yawn, she must have been really tired. It was almost 1 pm, so 10 am in Seattle and they had gotten up quite early to catch their flight.  
“Do you want to lie down for a bit? I don’t want you falling asleep during the show”, you asked cautiously.

You brother followed Lin’s example and looked at his phone.  
“So… the show is at… 8? When would we grab dinner?”  
“Depends on what you want to eat. We can stop at a little restaurant near the theater, but they are on a strict pizza only plan? If that is ok with you?”, Lin suggested and your brother, apparently not in the mood to say anything against pizza, nodded. You could see that he was tired too, so you stood up and collected his and Diane’s plate.

“Go and lie down, we can manage here. I’ll wake you in two hours and you can get ready after that, alright?”  
“Thank you”, Stephan mumbled and you raised an eyebrow. A thank you? That was something new! The pair of them left the kitchen and Lin waited until he could hear the door to the guest bedroom close before he began to speak.

“Wow… I definitely underestimated that guy. Was he always so… I don’t even know what I am supposed to say? Evil? Unfair?”  
You put down the plates and sighed.

“He can be really nice. I see the way he acts around Diane and he would do anything for her. I just wish that we could go back to the way we got along during my childhood. It really went downhill when he met Daveed, or rather when I met Daveed. He is right, for some time I thought I could be an actress, full of enthusiasm after doing some workshops with Daveed. I am not talented enough and I really don’t want to have a life that revolves around going from job to job and fearing for my bread and butter. So I never followed that path. But he blames Daveed for everything that came after that. The fact that I still went on to do something creative. It’s ridiculous.”

“Sounds like he is jealous of Daveed, to be honest.”, Lin commented and you shrugged.  
“Maybe.”  
“I would be jealous. Just look at him. 6 foot tall and gorgeous.”, Lin made you laugh and he seemed really proud of that.  
“Understandable.”, you snickered and he put an arm around your shoulders.  
“How are you feeling? I loved that you stood up to him!”

“Thanks. It felt good, I have never really done that before. I feel alright. I don’t like this situation, but Diane is actually very nice and I enjoy that. She was also very fast when it came to eating that cake.”, you pondered for a while and Lin cleared the rest of the table.  
“Well, that cake was and is amazing. I will definitely take a slice with me to work.”  
“Should I put it in a nice box for you? Like a 50’s housewife?”  
You were both laughing by now and suddenly the situation did not feel that bad at all.

“Do you want to watch a movie or something?”, Lin then asked and after you decided that it was a good idea, you went to the living room. While you were browsing his DVD collection, Lin was still in the kitchen. He joined you after five minutes, you were already sitting on the couch. When you turned around to face him, he presented you with a steaming mug.  
“Another coffee? I appreciate the gesture, but do you want me to crash the show tonight?”  
“That sounds amazing, but no. I made hot chocolate for you. I know that you are not crying right now, but a little comfort never hurt anyone, right?”

You smiled up at him and took the mug, why wasn’t this relationship real life?! Lin took a seat next to you and you took your first sip. It was divine.  
“You did not want one?”, you asked and motioned to the hot chocolate.  
“I was counting on stealing some from you, to be honest.”  
“Ok.”  
“What are we watching?”  
“You’ve got mail!”, you declared and he chuckled.

“Really?”  
“It’s literally one of my favorite movies. I always wanted a love story like that.”  
“So, if some big bakery chain would destroy the little shop you are working in right now and you were to meet some weirdo on the internet, that could technically work. Is that something you would like?”  
“I am not talking about that. I am talking about the friendship they develop beforehand. Don’t destroy that movie for me!”  
Lin only smiled and started the film, settling down comfortably next to you.

Lin had been honest, he was actually stealing little sips of hot chocolate from your mug, but you did not mind. Halfway through the movie, you fell asleep, not remembering for how long, but when you woke up again the small bookstore was already closed. Lin was looking at you, apparently, you had used his shoulder as a pillow.  
“Oh sorry!”  
“No worries, but I thought I would wake you up, your favorite part is just around the corner, right? The friendship thing?”  
“Right. Thanks.”  
“I also finished your hot chocolate”, he informed you and you simply shook your head, smiling.

Lin had been right about your favorite part of the movie, you loved it and especially the ending. They simply didn’t make movies like they used to. Lin had a lot of fun watching your reactions to different situations, although he reacted a bit overwhelmed when you started crying when Tom Hanks appeared in the park to meet Meg Ryan.  
“Why are you crying? It’s a happy ending!”  
“It’s so… it’s so… nice! Look at them. There’s a dog! Even the dog is happy!”, you bawled and he awkwardly patted your back.

“If I had known that you cry so easily, I would have insisted on another movie!”, he jokingly said and you snorted, not being attractive.  
“Daveed told me that you cry easily Lin, so don’t pull my leg on this one!”  
“That’s fair, I am quite emotional. Better now?”  
You nodded and he got up. When he walked past the piano you piped up again, an idea forming in your head.  
“Lin, can you play something? Please? I am suffering this weekend!”

“You are really taking advantage of this, aren’t you?”, he nevertheless sat down in front of the piano and looked at you, expecting a song suggestion.  
“Can you do Dear Theodosia? I really like that one.”  
Lin slowly shook his head but began playing. After repeating the beginning about three times, he finally began to quietly sing along to the melody. You listened contentedly, a smile on your face. It was unbelievable to you that someone was able to write so many great songs when you could not even come up with a good two-liner. 

The piano must have awoken your brother and Diane, they joined you in the living room and listened to the last chorus of the song. When Lin ended you spotted his red ears, was he embarrassed?! Diane applauded and even Stephan looked like he enjoyed it.  
“I cannot wait for tonight, that was amazing!”, Diane beamed and Stephan turned to look at her, a loving expression on his face. 

Lin got up and walked around the piano. Diane had begun to look around the room, spotting one of the pictures that you had taken the day before. It was the one with you on the makeup table.   
“That’s adorable. I also saw that you have a picture of the two of you on your phone (Y/N)?”  
You sprang into action and pulled your phone from your jeans pocket.  
“Yeah, this one is not too old, I stole Lin’s coat a few days ago.”, you explained and showed her the piggy-back photo.  
Lin joined the two of you, “We don’t have too many pictures of us together, mostly because I look hideous in them.”  
“That’s a lie!”, you protested and he grinned.

Diane surveyed the picture further and laughed about the state of Lin’s costume.  
“We haven’t even known each other for a day and you have already seen me half-naked.”, Lin laughed and to your surprise, even Stephan joined in.  
“I would hardly call that half-naked, but it is funny, I do have to agree.”, he said it in a matter-of-fact tone, but you were glad to see him open up a bit. In your experience, this would change soon anyways. He had a habit of going back to being his grumpy self in a matter of seconds.

Diane exclaimed that she would get ready for the theater now, followed by Stephan who asked Lin how dressed up he would have to be. Lin shrugged.  
“Some people come in evening wear. Since it’s Friday and you are there for the first time, why don’t you dress up a bit? You don’t need to wear a suit, but pants and a dress shirt would look alright I guess.”

With that advice, Stephan left the room and Lin addressed you next.  
“He seemed nicer?”  
“Don’t be fooled.”, you warned him and looked at your own clothes, “I should probably change too. I brought a dress, just give me a second. Since you won’t have to change.”  
“May I remind you of these very very uncomfortable collars that I will have to wear for approximately three hours tonight?”  
“You look good in them, so don’t complain!”

“Ohhhhh, was that a compliment?!”, Lin clapped his hands and you felt your face grow hot.  
“At least I didn’t say that you look different!”  
“Hey, I did apologize for that!”  
“Sure, sure.”, you left him in the living room and walked over to the bedroom. Finding the dress wasn’t hard, especially since you only had about three outfits at his place. After putting it on, you styled your hair and refreshed your makeup. In your opinion, you looked great!

When you were ready, Lin had already been joined by Stephan and Diane. He spotted you and beckoned you over.  
“Looking good!”, he remarked and pulled you close to him. Suddenly you realized that the time had come, the first kiss in front of your brother and his wife. It felt surprisingly natural and even though it was only a short moment, it left you a bit breathless. Flustered you smoothed out your dress while Lin was watching you, his arm still firmly around your waist.

“So, ready for pizza?”, Diane asked and you nodded. Lin gently led you to the door and your brother and Diane followed. All of you grabbed your coats and after a few minutes, you were ready to get going. Instead of taking an Uber, Lin wanted your family to see the real-life New York and he showed them the way to the subway.  
“So we’re not taking a car?”, Stephan checked.

“You have to take the subway. It’s the easiest way to go around the city and I love just sitting there and watching people.”, Lin explained already walking down the stairs. Diane, Stephan, and you followed, careful not to slip on the stairs. The next train arrived after two minutes and once you had all sat down, Diane started looking around the train, she obviously tried to follow Lin’s advice.

“Is that guy over there sleeping?”, she asked and Lin followed her view. There was indeed someone sleeping on the train, something that was not really uncommon in New York, or any town where people take the subway.   
“Yeah, probably just catching some quiet time. That’s what I am talking about, authentic New York.”  
“What’s our stop?”, Stephan asked, fidgeting around on his seat. He had never liked public transport.

“We’ll just take the one near Broadway. As I said, the restaurant is just around the corner and it would not make sense to get off the train at any other stop. You might have to hide me, some people tend to recognize me.”, Lin explained and you snorted. He looked at you, almost challenging.  
“What?”  
“Aren’t we fortunate to hang out with Mr. Famous?”, you teased him and he struck a pose.  
“I am ready for my close up.”, you both laughed, Diane joined in after a few seconds, while your brother kept his uptight expression.

The rest of the ride was uneventful, Diane had begun to ask Lin about his Broadway experiences, she really was a sucker for musicals, which in retrospect was weird since your brother had never really liked the theater. Stephan continued to stare at his shoes and you wished that it would be easy to talk to him. Of course, you did have some light moments over the past few years, but the mood was usually destroyed after some minutes. 

When you reached your stop and got off the train, Lin was actually stopped by two young men who asked him if they could take a quick picture. When he agreed, their smiles almost lit up the station. You were the one that took the photo and when Lin smiled in your direction, you once again felt those pesky butterflies in your stomach. This was getting out of hand!

After saying goodbye to the two men you made your way up the stairs but instead of turning to the direction of the theater, Lin went the other way and you followed him a like a small group of sheep. The restaurant was actually more of a small café from which you could see some of the theaters on Broadway. It was not crowded, which you appreciated, and Lin apparently had a favorite table that he quickly occupied. The man behind the counter greeted him warmly and you did not even have a chance to take off your coat before Lin asked what you wanted to eat.

Diane and Stephan hesitantly asked for a plain Margherita, while you relied on Lin to order something you liked. You should have known that he would return with something that had pineapple on it. When he presented you with it your brother piped up.  
“You eat pineapple pizza now?”  
“Apparently.”, you answered, to be honest, you had never really tried it and when you all began eating you had to admit that it was indeed tasty.

Lin sat quite close to you and also watched you eat. When you realized that he observed you, you turned to him.  
“Do I have something on my face?”  
"No, just waiting for your assessment!”“My assessment?”  
“Do you like my favorite pizza topping?”, you laughed when he asked and Diane started to listen attentively. 

“Have you never had pineapple on pizza, even though he likes it?”  
Lin quickly jumped to the rescue, “She never dared to try. I guess you guys made her surrender instead of protesting!”  
You snorted but decided to play along.  
“He is right. I would not want to cause a scene when you are around.”  
Diane smiled and continued to eat her pizza.

“Do you like it too Stephan?”, you asked and your brother looked at you.  
“It’s definitely delicious, so thank you. I actually enjoy discovering what people like in their daily life.”  
You almost choked on your pizza, that was news to you. Apparently, your brother also didn’t want to cause any drama right now. You decided to just roll along with it.  
“I am happy to hear that.”

“Well, it’s Lin’s favorite spot. Not yours.”, and there he was again. Just like the last time he kind of insulted you, Lin’s hand immediately found yours under the table. Instead of overthinking it, you intertwined your fingers with his, searching for any kind of comfort he could give you. You knew that you should stand up to your brother, but at this point in your relationship, you were tired of thinking about what to say only to be shut down again.

“I think it was delicious.”, Diane interjected, giving you a smile. You returned it, maybe she was not as bad as you had initially thought. People could change, right? At least you hoped so, you had not given up hope that you and your brother would get along again in the future. Lin entertained your group with some of his theater stories and even though they were amusing, you suddenly thought about the fact that your brother would cross paths with Daveed again in the course of the evening.

 

Lin made you leave the restaurant about an hour before the show started since he had to be at the theater before it opened to the public. He did convince one of the overseers to let you in early, which thrilled Diane to no extent. Once you walked into the theater he turned to the three of you.  
“I’ll just slip out again and take the stage door, some people might already be waiting.”  
“Might?”, you checked and he laughed.  
“Ok, there will definitely be people. That’s why I smuggled you in through the main entrance, so you don’t have to endure my fame. (Y/N) knows the way for getting backstage, you can come and join me after the show? I also have your tickets here…”

Lin handed the tickets to you and you checked the seats. They were good, really good to be honest. He took in your face and confirmed your assumption.  
“I did manage to get better seats than you had last time (Y/N), you can thank me whenever you want.”, before you had a chance to answer he continued, “Oh, I have to go or the costume people will be angry with me! So, I’ll see you after the show!”  
He quickly hugged Diane (who squealed in delight), gave Stephan a nod and finally turned to you, “Can I just steal you for a teeny tiny moment?”

“Didn’t you say that you need to get going?”, you asked while he pulled you a few feet away from your family.  
“Yes, but I also remembered that there will be a Daveed situation at some point this evening. He is set on meeting your brother again, right?”  
You shrugged, you had not talked to Daveed for the past few hours but you knew that Lin was probably right.

“So… you want to make a game plan right now?”  
“Well, we don’t have time, do we? Just keep me posted on how your brother reacts to him. I’ll then come up with something. Hopefully. If my collar won’t strangle me until then.”  
“That collar of yours must hate you.”, you mused and Lin took your hand.  
“It really does.”  
“What are you doing?”  
“They are still watching us, so at least look like I just said something extremely romantic.”, while he told you this, Lin took a step closer to you and whispered the last part into your ear.

You giggled, whispering always tickled your sensitive ears. That reaction made Lin laugh too and he quickly leaned back.  
“Ticklish?”  
“I have very sensitive ears, but I think it was the right reaction to your very romantic speech, right?”  
Lin nodded and pulled you a bit closer to him.

“So, do I get a good luck kiss? Purely for show of course.”, he winked and you did not know what he meant by that. Was he making fun of you? Of the thing, you were acting out? Or did he mean more by that?  
“I guess?”, such an eloquent answer from you.

Once again he drew nearer, this time though he softly put his lips on yours. You hesitantly returned the kiss, suddenly scared to enjoy this too much. It did not last long and felt a lot like a business-like gesture. Lin kept looking at you though.  
“I do have to get going now. But, I can see, and actually feel, that you are stressed. If anything is wrong, just text me a quick SOS.”  
“Even if something is wrong, you cannot change it. What are you going to do, leave the show for the evening?”, you chuckled and he acted as if he was thinking about it.

“Nope, cannot do that. People are paying good money to see me. But I will then try and come up with something that might cheer you up, ok?”, he waited until you nodded, squeezed your hand one last time and left. He would really be pushed for time now. You turned back to Diane and Stephan, they were waiting for you. Diane was busy looking around the theater, while Stephan was typing on his phone.

“Ok guys. I think we can go and sit down already, people will join us soon and I think we are seated in the middle of our row, so waiting till the end would be extremely rude.”, you explained and after putting your coats away, where you were already joined by other theater guests, you walked into the auditorium and looked for your seats. They were amazing and you tried to keep your own enthusiasm on the down low, for your brother and sister-in-law, this was not your second time seeing the show. Luckily you knew most of the songs by heart by now and would not slip up if they were to ask you anything.

You actually managed to make polite conversation with Diane, your brother was seated between the two of you and added something to your opinions from time to time. So far he seemed to even be a bit excited to see the show, he asked you if he had to have any background knowledge and when you told him that it was all explained in the play, he replied with a very positive, “I am looking forward to experiencing, what Diane calls, ‘the Broadway sensation’!”

So far, so good, was your thought and when the lights were finally dimmed you tried to relax and not think about the fact that Daveed would be on stage in approximately two minutes. The usual announcement made you aware of not recording anything and finally, Leslie stepped on stage and began with his introduction to the story of Alexander Hamilton. You were excited to see Lin once again in this role and, if you dared saying so, even a tiny bit proud, although nothing had anything to do with you. Anthony swiftly joined Leslie and you knew that the next person was Daveed.

When Daveed stepped on stage a seemingly very excited fan cheered, which momentarily distracted you from what was happening before you. Once your friend finished his part and made way for Oak you dared to look at your brother. He was surprisingly relaxed, but you soon realized why. He had not really recognized Daveed by now and was still surveying him with a questioning look. Lin made his appearance, now the whole theater cheered, and after the song ended you once again looked at your brother.

This time, he was staring back at you, a frown on his face and he was obviously refraining from raising his voice. He kept looking at you, unable to say anything with what was happening on stage. When the song was over and the auditorium erupted in a hurricane of applause he leaned over to your seat.

“When were you planning on telling me that HE is part of this whole thing?!”, for anyone else, he would have sounded calm, apart from the ‘he', but you recognized the sharp edge in his tone.  
“I… I don’t know.”, you were honest with him, and when the first notes of ‘Aaron Burr, Sir” began playing your brother gripped your hand in his and hissed in your ear.  
“We will talk about this later!”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why this turned out to be so long?

After the almost violent reaction from your brother, you kept your eyes on what was happening on stage, trying not to think about what was going to happen during the break. Diane had noticed the exchange between the two of you and continued to shoot you a worried look from time to time. Since she had been nothing but nice to you so far, you hoped that she at least enjoyed the show.

In the course of ‘Helpless’ you did laugh a bit, Lin’s dancing was simply too funny and you momentarily forgot about the impending storm, aka your brother. Just like the last time, Lin spotted you during some of the songs, especially during ‘Yorktown’, he kept looking at you while rapping about the battle. Maybe he spotted the tense air around you and Stephan, but he could hardly do anything about it.

After Non-Stop, it was time for the break and Stephan immediately turned to you, ready to start bombarding you with whatever he came up with over the past hour. Luckily Diane intervened beforehand, for which you shot her a grateful look.  
“Stephan dear, could you get me some water?”  
Your brother was not happy about it, but he complied and got out of his seat to follow his wife’s wishes. Once he was gone Diane continued to look at you.

“What’s going on (Y/N)?”, she asked, obviously curious.  
“I guess I deliberately did not mention that Daveed is part of the show…”, you mumbled and she nodded.   
“I knew that I have seen that face before, Stephan has kept some old pictures and one shows you two and a boy, or rather a young man, who is now on this stage. I only know what Stephan has told me and I have to say that it was unfair to just confront him like this.”

You wanted to protest, even though you knew she was right, but she stopped you with a wave of her hand.  
“I also realize that it is unfair of Stephan to keep holding this over your head. I know that he will want to talk about it after the show and he will be back in a few minutes. Maybe you should use the restroom and return towards the end of the break? That will at least give you some time to come up with something.”  
You were speechless, you had not expected Diane to be this understanding. But you followed her advice and got up.

“Thank you, Diane, really. I.. you don’t know what this means to me.”  
“Even though you probably won’t believe this, I do care for you. And I care for Stephan. I want you to get along. Now, go!”  
You nodded once in her direction and quickly left the auditorium. It felt weird to have her on your side, even though she did not shy away from calling you out, too. Which was something you deserved.

The line in front of the restroom was brutal, but since you really did not have to go, you simply leaned against the wall and pulled out your phone. Lin had texted you.   
‘Hey there. This is Lin speaking (and Daveed). Just tell me how bad it is. On a scale of one to ten.’  
‘It’s a solid ten. Maybe ten thousand. He wants to talk to me later. So… SOS?’  
‘Oh no, now I have to come up with something to cheer you up. BUT, I am sorry to hear that. Just try to get them backstage as soon as possible later, ok? Daveed wants you to know that he will fight Stephan if that’s what you want.’

You had to chuckle and texted back, ‘I hope it won’t come to that.’  
You could see that Lin was typing, but once the symbol stopped nothing appeared. So you followed up with a question mark. This time he got back to you.  
‘What’s up?’  
'Didn’t you just type?’  
‘I was texting someone else.’

‘Ouch, already in the arms of another woman?’, you answered, half-serious, even though you were his pretend girlfriend, you felt strangely possessive.  
‘No, just something that needed to get done. No worries, you will continue to be my favorite. Ok, I have to get ready now and you should head back to your seat!’  
‘Roger that’, you texted back and put your phone away. Time to face, quite literally, the music.

Stephan was talking to Diane as you returned to your seat, obviously peeved that he did not have a chance to confront you. Diane gave you a quick wink and the lights dimmed once again. You had developed a new affection for the songs of the second act, in your opinion the first one was still stronger, but songs like ‘Say No To This’, ‘The Room Where It Happens’, and ‘It’s Quiet Uptown’ were ones that you started to really like (even though one of them made you ugly cry). Once the show ended you sprung to your feet and applauded. Diane soon joined you and even Stephan got up and started clapping. It seemed like he had actually enjoyed the show, even though he shot a dirty look in Daveed’s direction.

After the cast left the stage you looked for the exit that you took the last time. You knew that Stephan still wanted to talk, but were determined to get backstage before he had the chance. Maybe that made you a coward, but you were ok with that for now. After you collected your coats, Stephan and Diane followed you to a more remote hallway and you were extremely proud of yourself that you managed to actually find the way. In contrast to the empty hallway you just walked through the backstage area was brimming with voices and a wild swarm of people.

“Oh, I have never been backstage. This is exciting!”, Diane clapped her hands and you looked around, searching for a friendly face. You found it in Renée who hurried towards you, still in her last costume. Diane looked like she was about to die when the other woman greeted your group gushingly.  
“There you are! Lin told us that your brother and sister-in-law were in town!”, Renée exclaimed and you could see that she was ready to take the challenge. Stephan introduced himself and Diane and Renée hugged both of them. After that, she turned to you.

“Lin wanted to see you, he has something to run by you. Probably one of his crazy plans, but in the meantime, I could show these two the stage? If you are up for that?”, Renée’s suggestion left Diane speechless once again and after one look at his wife, Stephan surrendered and accepted the offer.  
“We’ll see you in a bit.”, he directed his comment at you and Renée ushered them away, motioning for you to go see Lin. You were thankful for her, she would definitely get a small gift in return for saving your butt.

Lin’s dressing room door was closed but almost immediately swung open when you knocked. He pulled you inside and shut the door again. Overwhelmed with what had just happened you needed a few seconds to catch your breath and to finally look at him. He was still in his costume pants and socks but had gotten rid of the jacket and frilly blouse. As he had declared yesterday, he was wearing a form-fitting undershirt, for which you were grateful. Another half-naked Lin would have thrown you way off.

“So, how is it going out there?”, he asked while putting his hair in a ponytail.  
“I don’t know. Stephan didn’t have the time to confront me, but that will change soon.”, you sighed and took a seat in front of Lin’s makeup table. He walked up behind you and put his hands on your shoulders. For a while, you were just sitting there until you spotted a napkin on the table, with a half-eaten slice of cake on it.

“You actually took a piece of cake with you?”, you asked and could see him shrugging in the mirror.  
“I told you I would. And I didn’t even finish it. Just a second.”, he grabbed the remaining piece and put it in his mouth. Without biting off a piece.  
“Ok, please don’t choke. That would be very bad… and I would have to do a lot of explaining.”, you laughed and he finally swallowed the cake.  
“So you only care about what happens after my death? Would you at least cry over my dead body?”  
“Woah, that got dark very quickly!”, you got up and Lin grinned.

“I know that you would be sad. So, I forgive you. Ok, I do have to change… do you want to wait outside… or?”, he left the decision to you and you told him that you would step outside, Stephan and Diane would return at some point, so meeting them was something that you had to prepare for.  
“I’ll try to be quick, but… you know, beauty needs time!”, Lin called after you and you just shook your head.

 

While waiting outside, Daveed joined you. He was already out of costume and wore one of his big jackets, it was definitely getting colder outside. Instead of greeting you in his typical loud way, he simply hugged you and you returned the embrace. For some time none of you talked, simply enjoying the comfort that came from a good hug.

“How are you?”, Daveed finally broke the silence between you.  
“I am alright. Stephan might be out there wanting to kill you, so prepare.”, you answered honestly and he nodded slowly.  
“I don’t even know why he’s still mad at me. What’s done is done. And I didn’t even marry you or anything like that.”, while he was laughing, you could see Stephan and Diane approach you. Renée was walking behind them and waved at you, you mouthed a silent ‘Thank you’ in return and she gave you a thumbs up before vanishing in the direction of her own dressing room.

When Stephan and Diane arrived in front of Lin’s dressing room door, Daveed finally turned around and gave your brother a forced smile (something one would rarely see from your friend).  
“Hey, Stephan. And you must be Diane. I am Daveed.”, Diane shook his hand and congratulated him to a great show. He thanked her, while Stephan was obviously grinding his teeth.

Silence once again stretched between all of you. Daveed desperately looked to Lin’s door, but the other man was probably still busy getting dressed.   
“So… this is awkward.”, your friend said, looking from you to Stephan. Your brother snorted.  
“Well, you at least knew that I would be here. For me, this meeting was completely out of the blue.”

Diane looked to you, unsure about what to do, which you mirrored with a panicked look. Daveed turned to your brother.  
“Listen, Stephan, I don't really know why things got so bad between us. I always valued your friendship and, well, It’s kind of sad to see how things developed.”, Daveed’s explanation not only included his sorrow about the failed friendship, but you also sensed that he was criticizing the situation between you and your brother. Stephan cleared his throat noisily and you were almost scared of what he would come up with next.

“I don’t know. Maybe things went downhill when you went after my little sister.”, and back to the root of the problem.  
“Listen, I never cared for (Y/N) in that way. Come on. She’s like a sister to me. I never thought about her in that way. It’s actually quite… ewww…”, Daveed shuddered and you intervened.  
“Stephan, please. As Daveed said, he never had any feelings for me and I never had feelings for him. Which should be quite clear, because Daveed actually introduced me to Lin. I only see a friend in him. And since we do not really get along anymore, a brother.”, you knew that the last part was mean, but Stephan needed to hear it.

Your brother remained silent for a few seconds, then addressed Daveed.  
“Listen. I might believe you regarding (Y/N). Still, you put all these fantasies in her head. I am sorry that we are not friends anymore. I have other friends now. I will try to be nice to you, but that’s it.”, for Stephan, that was like waving a white flag. You were too perplexed to say anything in return, apparently, Daveed had the same feeling. Why had Stephan given in so fast?

Your brother then turned to you.  
“Next time, I’d appreciate a heads-up before you surprise me. Especially when you know that I will not be pleased. Understood?”  
You nodded in return and finally, Lin’s door opened. He was already in his winter coat, ready to face the crowd outside.  
“Oh, am I intruding?”, he looked at you and you quickly shook your head.   
Daveed looked at his phone, “Well… nice talking to you Stephan. Diane, pleasure. Maybe, we’ll see each other again? But Lin, we should get going!”  
Lin was obviously confused by the almost easygoing atmosphere, Stephan was quiet and Diane almost fell asleep on her feet.  
“Listen…”, Lin began and took your hand in this, right you were still a couple, “I’d say that Daveed and I get going. Why don’t you follow us in fifteen minutes? By then some people should have left and we can get going soon afterward?”

“Sounds great. Can we crash in your dressing room in the meantime? Diane looks tired.”, you asked and he nodded.  
“I’ll see you in a bit.”, he pressed a short kiss to your temple (which was commented by Daveed with an ‘ewww, you are disgusting!’) and left, pulling your friend after him. When they were gone you opened the door to the dressing room and Stephan and Diane went in.

It was weird to be in his room without him. Everything was unapologetically Lin, the chaos that dominated most surfaces, you could see notepads all over the room, filled with his illegible hand, his laptop that was still sitting on the desk, and it even smelled like him. The last sensation made your cheeks grow hot, was it strange that you recognized his scent?  
Diane sat down on the couch while you looked at the pictures on Lin’s mirror. There was one of you and him, he had stolen the one from the bar from his fridge and put it there. It was a great idea and should your brother spot it, it would seem completely normal to have a picture of your girlfriend in your dressing room.   
Before you could mull over this some more, Stephan grabbed your arm.  
"Can we talk?”, he looked at his wife, “outside?”

Since Diane was practically sleeping at this point and you still had a few minutes, you agreed to talk to your brother. Maybe he would continue to be a bit more understanding? You hoped so.  
Since most of the cast had left the theater by now to meet fans, it had grown a bit quieter in the hallways. People that were working behind the scenes walked by you from time to time, carrying costumes and other props, most of them were silent, working intently.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”, you asked and crossed your arms in front of your chest, already feeling insecure. Stephan took a while to answer, you could see that he was trying to contain his anger.  
“Listen. I played nice with Daveed, but I am still angry. Extremely angry. I did not know that you were back in contact with him. I also did not know that he introduced you to your boyfriend, now I am questioning Lin. What are you doing?!”  
“What do you think I am doing?”, you asked, confused.

“Are you only doing this to make me mad? I was quite happy with Lin, but now… he is enabling your daydreams even more. It’s easy for him to dream, he has this huge Broadway hit, but you will never reach the same heights. If he stays with you, which you cannot know, he will always be the one to support you. It’s cute that you think you are equal, but face it (Y/N), you will never be enough. One day you will move back with our parents and realize that you were not made for the creative world out there, may it be acting or baking. And you can thank Daveed for that!”

You knew that you had to say something in return, but you did not know what could possibly calm down your brother, or justify your life choices. You were tired, tired in general, and tired of fighting back.  
“Let’s just get going.”, you mumbled and pushed past your brother, back into Lin’s dressing room. Diane had woken up but stayed quiet, sensing the strange atmosphere.

“Put on your coat Diane, we are leaving.”, Stephan said and you and Diane followed his order. You felt a little bit better, clad in your warm coat, and after putting on your beanie you turned off the light and led the way to the stage door. Stephan was right behind you, but he did not make any move to try and talk to you again. You didn’t either, it was hopeless at this point, but you made a promise to yourself to address the topic again before they would leave on Sunday.

You could already hear chattering from outside and when you walked through the stage door there was still quite a big amount of fans left. Daveed turned around when he heard the door and winked at you, you returned the gesture with a weak smile. Lin was caught up with a group of girls who all wanted to take a picture with him. When he spotted you, he beckoned you over with a wave of his hand.  
“Can you stay here? I guess Lin still needs some time, but I hope we'll get home soon.", you told Diane and Stephan and walked over to Lin. You suddenly realized that some of the fans recognized your beanie, but it was too late now.

“You called?”, Lin grinned at you once you reached him.  
“I did. Listen, everyone wants a picture and I thought we could take a group picture? But we need someone to take it. Would you be so kind?”  
"Of course”, you smiled at the girls behind the barrier and one of them handed you her phone. You took a few steps back.  
“Ok, look at me! Lin, try to at least look relaxed. Now… smile!”, you took about five pictures, finally satisfied with the last one. Lin walked up to you and tried to catch a glimpse of the photo.  
“Do I look amazing in it?”  
“Lin… you do realize that there is only so much a picture can do, right?”  
It felt good to joke with him, especially when his answer to your well-meant insult was to put an arm around you and press you to his side.

“Thanks for trying anyway. I’ll try to get through with this as quick as possible, alright? You look like you need a nap”, he murmured and you nodded. After giving the phone back to the girls, you returned to Diane and Stephan. Your brother was busy looking at his phone, so Diane turned to you to start a conversation.  
“Do you get jealous when all these people swarm around Lin? He looks as if he enjoys the attention.”  
You turned around and looked at Lin, your pretend boyfriend. He was joking with someone and laughed loudly, but you could see that he was tired, just like the other cast members.  
“I don’t get jealous. The fans adore his work, and I do understand that they like him as well. Lin enjoys connecting with people and I think it would be weird to be angry about that.”, you replied and she nodded.

Diane and you continued to talk about this and that, mostly about what you were currently working on, while she told you about some interesting cases that she had worked on as a lawyer. It took Lin longer than he had planned, but after some time, most fans had taken their pictures with him, he had signed numerous playbills and talked to almost everyone. When he finally walked up to you, relief washed over you. Talking to Diane was easy enough, especially after she saved you earlier, but you longed for a bed. Lin immediately sensed that you were stressed and decided to hail a cab.

“So… Did you enjoy the show?”, Lin asked once you folded yourself into the cab and since neither you nor Stephan answered, Diane stepped in.  
“I loved it. Thank you so much for the opportunity and especially the great seats! I think I have to digest this evening before I can really talk about it!”  
“Thank you so much, I would love to hear your opinion once you have slept a night to think about it.”, Lin sounded genuinely happy. Stephan still did not take part in the conversation and once you reached Lin’s apartment complex and entered his home, Diane and Stephan quickly said their goodnights. 

They left you and Lin in the kitchen, the black-haired man was still wide awake, probably after show buzzing, and prepared some tea.  
“Do you want a cup? I will take a shower since we do have to share my bed tonight. Wouldn’t want to keep you from sleeping because I smell.”, he smiled at you and you only nodded. After showing you where he kept the tea, he got ready to leave the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway.  
“Oh… and I want you to tell me everything about what happened at the theater, alright? Or are you too tired?”

You shook your head, “No, I just need to get this makeup off my face. So, take your shower and I will make the tea. It can cool down while I wash my face.”  
Lin gave you a thumbs up and vanished in the bathroom. In a matter of seconds, you could hear the shower and a loud “Arghh”. Lin must have stubbed his toe or something like that since the squeal was followed by a string of profanities. You smiled to yourself and looked for the teabags.

Once you put them into cups and poured hot water over them, the shower had already stopped and it only took Lin another five minutes to reappear, now dressed in loose-fitting sweatpants and a Hamilton t-shirt.  
“I have to get one of these!”, you commented and gestured to his torso.  
“Well… they were made for cast members only, but you might be lucky.”, Lin winked at you and glanced at the clock. You took the hint.

“I’ll wash my face and will be back in… ten minutes!”, he nodded and took a seat on the bench in his kitchen. You made a detour to the bedroom, grabbed you pajama, and finally entered the bathroom. It was still quite warm, that shower must have been scorching. You could also smell the shower gel that Lin used, it wasn’t overly manly and you enjoyed the scent. After locating a fresh towel you quickly washed your face and put some cream on.   
After the day you had, you craved comfort, so you slipped into a pair of warm leggings and a loose shirt, with a comfortable bustier underneath, you did not want your boobs to make an unplanned appearance. Satisfied with your look (could you even call it that? Well, it was important, at least kind of), you left the bathroom and were surprised to see that the kitchen was completely dark.

“Lin?”, you couldn’t really call for him, so you performed some sort of stage whisper. He answered in the same fashion, albeit more dramatic.  
“I’m in the bedroom! Follow my voice!”  
You chuckled but complied. He was indeed in his bedroom, sitting at a small desk that you had already spotted, must have been one of his numerous working spaces.  
“I brought the tea with me, your cup is over there.”, he pointed to your mug which was sitting on a small table, next to an armchair which looked quite cozy. You took a seat and grabbed the cup, ready for something warm in your hands.  
“So… tell me. How did the evening go? Stephan wasn’t particularly talkative on our way back.”

You took a deep breath, time to explain what happened. You quickly talked about the moment when he saw Daveed on stage and that he and your friend did not really clash afterwards when they met backstage. Lin listened intently, nodding from time to time.  
“But that sounds alright, doesn’t it? Diane seems like she tries to mend things between you. And it's fascinating that Stephan did not start a fight with Daveed. Or the other way around for that matter.”

“I thought the same… But when you left, Stephan wanted to talk to me again. He really didn’t hold back. He basically asked me if I was living my life the way I do to make him angry. You know, trying to do something creative. And he accused you of enabling this since it has to be easy for you with a Broadway hit under your belt. He also said that I can thank Daveed for introducing us, since he is to blame when, not if, I fail. Apparently, I will never be equal to someone like you and I should just accept that.”

You really tried to stay calm, instead of looking at Lin while retelling what had happened, you focused on the cup of tea in your hands. Something that you were not able to stop were the tears that had started to form in your eyes, which additionally made your voice shaky. After your little speech, you did not hear Lin respond in any way, but you realized that he had left his chair when his feet appeared in your field of vision.

“Can you give me your cup?”, he asked, his voice was soft and you gave in. Lin carefully took the cup and put it back on the small table. Then he crouched down in front of you, resting his hands on your knees.  
“How are you feeling?”, his question made you chuckle through the rising emotions.  
“How do you think I feel? I want to reconnect with Stephan. And I know that I can be really unfair when it comes to him, but what he said just makes me so sad. I know that we are not really a couple, but what if he is right? Can I never be with someone successful, because that person will have to support me for the rest of my life?!”, your voice had grown hysterical and Lin pulled you up with him. After pulling you in a tight hug, he slowly stroked your back and instructed you to breathe slowly. 

“Ok, deep breath in… breathe out. You will be with someone who values you for who you are, do you understand? And to be honest, now I am really pissed with Stephan. I will have to break the rule that my mother installed in me. Never be mean to a guest. Well, there it goes, flying out the window!”, his comment made you smile and when he noticed that you were no longer sniffling against his chest, he took a step back.  
“Thank you. I mean it. For everything.”, you looked at him, unsure about what to do next.

Thankfully, Lin picked up on your uneasiness.   
“Let’s get you to bed. I still have to dry my hair, otherwise, I will look like a crazy professor tomorrow. And that’s not something you want to see, let me assure you. Will you be alright on your own?”  
“I think so… Which side do you want?”  
“Hm?”  
“In the bed.”, you clarified.

“I never really thought about it… maybe the left? If that’s alright with you.”  
“It’s your bed, so I will take the right side!”, Lin nodded after your declaration and left the room. You turned to the bed, suddenly a bit nervous. Even though you had definitely been in more compromising positions with Lin, like sleeping on him on his couch, sharing a bed was nerve-racking for you. You could hear him blow-drying his hair, so you quickly slipped under the covers and tried to find a comfortable position. 

When Lin returned, you had settled for lying on your back and he quietly asked if you were asleep.  
“Nope, still awake. Today has been exhausting but I am still a bit agitated.”, you confessed as you felt the bed sink beside you.  
“Well, I am knackered. Tomorrow is a two-show day, so… is it ok if I just turn the lights off?”  
“Sure. I will probably fall asleep soon, too.”

The room turned dark and you tried to keep calm. This was weird, but also weirdly ok? What really surprised you was that Lin fell asleep in a matter of seconds. For someone who was always so lively, his breathing quickly evened out and that made you relax. It was comfortable to lie next to him and you slowly turned to your left side, so that you could look at him. You had not closed the curtains, so the moonlight softly illuminated everything around you. You could make out the outline of Lin’s profile, his nose, and slightly parted lips. Disgruntled with yourself, you pressed your eyes shut. This was getting ridiculous.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could not wait to write again... so here's the next chapter. Don't get used to this uploading schedule though :D

When you woke up you immediately knew that it was about the same time as the day before, namely early. Your nerves had led to a fitful night of sleep but you did not want to get up just yet. The prospect of meeting your brother in the kitchen made you groan and you tried to roll over onto your back. 

When you made a motion to follow through with your plan, you realized that you couldn’t really move. Blood rushed to your cheeks. Right. You were sharing the bed with Lin, who currently had an arm around your waist. His warmth was noticeable behind you and you could feel his breath on the back of your neck. None of these things made you feel any less nervous, what were you supposed to do?

The first idea that came to your head was to not move too much. You did enjoy being held by Lin and wanted to remain in this position for a little bit longer. The universe had other plans though and the peaceful quiet was suddenly disturbed by a loud noise from down the hall, followed by a yelp which must have come from Diane. Maybe she had dropped something. In an instant, you could feel Lin waking up behind you. The first hint was that his grip around your waist became firmer once he began to stir.

Instead of acting like you were asleep, you finally rolled onto your back when Lin let go of you and caught him looking at you sheepishly. Was he embarrassed?  
“Morning,” you whispered and he propped himself up on his left arm, looking down at you.  
“Right back at you. Did I imagine that noise?”  
“No, I heard it too. Diane must have dropped something.”

Lin nodded, deep in thought. You were mesmerized by the way his hair moved. He had put it into a low bun when he went to bed last night but must have lost the hair tie during the night. His voice brought you back to the present.  
“(Y/N)? Are you listening to me?”  
“Sorry, it’s just… your hair,” it was too early for you to lie about your thoughts and your honesty earned you a low laugh from Lin.

“My hair?”  
“It’s so bouncy. And healthy. I would kill for hair like that.”  
“Do you want a lock of it, to keep in an amulet, close to your heart?” Lin chuckled and you rolled your eyes.  
“Just let me be obsessed with it, ok? I like it,” you definitely wanted to get out of the conversation that began to make you feel awkward.  
“I hate it… Sometimes. It takes ages to dry and what are you supposed to do with it?!”

Were you really in bed with Lin-Manuel Miranda right now, discussing his hair? Twitter would go wild if they knew.  
“I think it really works for you. Looks great in a ponytail, the bun is always a good look, and if you wear it open every woman will be envious,” he laughed at your explanation and dramatically flipped his hair back.  
“Good to know that you like it.”  
You groaned and covered your face with your hands.

“Hey, I’m just joking,” Lin peeled your hands back and you could not help but laugh at the absurdness of the situation. He followed with another sentence, “But I might tweet about it. I could start a poll, ‘Do you fancy my hair?’”  
While he was overflowing with ideas, you barely stifled a yawn.  
“Do you want to stay in bed for a bit longer? Diane told me that she and Stephan have to leave at ten, if you want you can sleep till then and I will wake you up once they have left?”  
“Wouldn't it be unfair of me to leave you alone with them?” you asked, longing for a few more hours of sleep.

“Since I am the best pretend boyfriend in the world, I will relieve you of breakfast duty. Go back to sleep and I’ll take care of everything,” Lin proceeded to a sitting position, while you stayed on your back.  
“I owe you big time. But please don’t start any fights with Stephan,” you asked nicely and Lin left the bed. His shirt had ridden up on his back and you caught a glance at his tanned skin. Like a pervert.

“I’ll reserve my rant till Sunday,” he promised and went around the bed to your side.  
“Thank you.”  
“No worries. Do you want me to close the curtains?”  
“No, I am very tired… I guess I’ll fall asleep as soon as you leave the room.”  
“Good night then,” he murmured and leaned down to press a feather-light kiss to your forehead.

Once he left the bedroom you smiled to yourself. Maybe Daveed was right and Lin had begun to develop feelings for you? Why would he be so sweet to you, when no-one was around to witness it? But maybe he was just a really good method actor? You grew somber again, you should not read too much into his behavior, right? It did not matter right now, you could hear him enter the kitchen and putting out cups for coffee. To the sounds of early morning events, you went back to sleep.

 

When you woke up for the second time, the sun was shining into the room so brightly that you could make out dust particles that were floating around in the air. It was suspiciously silent and you moaned in bliss while you stretched. After looking at your phone, it was almost 10, you checked your messages. Daveed had sent a text, which you opened.

‘Everything alright with you? (And Lin? :P)’, you clicked your tongue at his nosiness, but took your time to lay out the basic facts of Stephan’s speech to you and the way in which you and Lin had spent your morning so far. After that, you rolled out of bed and looked for your comfy socks.

Stephan and Diane must have left already, since you could only hear Lin murmuring to himself when you opened the bedroom door. Maybe he was working? You followed his murmuring to the living room, where he startled when you opened the door.  
“Oh my. You should be careful, my poor heart!” You laughed at his dramatic declaration and realized that he was sitting in front of an open notebook, filled with scribbling.

“Are you working on something?” you asked, suddenly you were the one that was being nosey. Lin looked down at the notebook.  
“Uhm… well. I am working on something for Disney, so… I am trying to write.”  
“I can leave you be, if you need some peace and quiet?” you asked, reminding yourself that you were the one that had kind of forced him to give up his weekend plans.  
“No, it’s alright. I am stuck anyways. Let’s get some breakfast into you. I also have a little surprise!”

You were taken aback, “A surprise?”  
“It’s not much… But when you asked yesterday who I was texting, I was preparing the surprise. And it was actually good that you slept a few more hours, it arrived during that time. And before you ask, your brother and Diane have left about 30 minutes ago. They clean up quite well.”  
“I know, they were always better at dressing up than me. And they have the right wardrobe. I am more of a jeans and sweater girl,” you shrugged and he followed you to the kitchen.

“I wouldn’t say that, but that’s a discussion for another day,” Lin went back to the coffee maker and in a matter of seconds, the scent of freshly grounded coffee beans filled the kitchen.  
“Toast?” he asked and when you nodded he put a plate of freshly toasted bread in front of you, “I was hoping you’d say that!”  
You laughed and reached for the peanut butter, time for an old-fashioned PBJ. When the coffee was ready, Lin had also prepared a cup for himself, he put your coffee in front of you and took a seat opposite you.

“I could get used to this,” you confessed and he grinned.  
“Noted,” was his answer and for a few minutes, you simply enjoyed the sandwich and coffee, feeling content that you would only see your brother in the evening. One thing you suddenly remembered was his promise of a surprise.  
“So… about that surprise.”  
Lin mockingly rolled his eyes but continued to smile.  
“I should not have mentioned that. Ok… stay here. Maybe close your eyes?”

You complied and while he left the kitchen, you closed your eyes and listened out for his footsteps. When you heard him approach, you could also make out the rustling of paper, which made you even more excited. He stopped next to you and you sniffed. Was that some kind of flower?

“You can open your eyes,” Lin’s voice was closer than you had anticipated and you immediately looked up to him. He was holding something that was enveloped in brown paper. You could make out green stalks at the ending nearest to you. Was he actually giving you flowers?  
“Do you want them, or not?” Lin was waving the surprise in front of your face.

“Yes, obviously. I was just surprised. And wasn’t that your plan?” you replied.  
“I cannot deny that,” Lin finally handed over the bouquet (you were pretty sure that the paper contained flowers by now) and you cradled it in your arms. When you peeled back the paper, you were greeted by a sea of daisies. The flowers left you speechless, it must have been around 30 stalks.  
“Daisies?!” you could hear how squeaky your voice sounded. Lin laughed heartily in return.

He took the seat right next to you and leaned towards the flowers, almost conspiratorial.  
“Don’t you think that daisies are the friendliest flowers?” he asked and you gasped for air.  
“Are you quoting You’ve Got Mail?!” Was that man for real?   
“Of course. Do you know how hard it was to procure daisies in the middle of November? Must be some shady business, but a good friend really delivered!”

You were embarrassed, but the kind gesture led to you starting to sniffle. Lin immediately became uneasy.  
“Are you crying?! Again?” you were amazed at how high his voice could get.  
“It’s your fault. That’s so thoughtful. I am sorry,” you could feel the tears that were rolling down your face and unsure about what to do, Lin pulled the flowers from your arms and embraced you tightly.

“I really didn’t want to make you cry,” he sounded regretful and you laughed against his chest.  
“I am not sad. Tears of happiness, so don’t be alarmed. That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me!” you meant it and once you spoke your mind aloud you actually began to sob. Which led to Lin being even more panicked.

“Tell me what I am supposed to do!” he pleaded with you and you let go of him, wiping away the tears from your cheeks.  
“Nothing. I am sorry. You are already doing so much for me. No one would have done that. And you continue to do so much more. I really don’t know how I can ever repay you.”  
“Oh, I will think of something!”  
You playfully slapped him and when you laughed at his obviously feigned pain, he relaxed a bit.

Lin grew more serious when your crying subsided.  
“I will tell you this now, once and for all. You don’t have to repay me. I chose to do this. I like you and even though you can be quite stubborn, I wanted to help you with your brother. I don’t mind your presence and if you had grown up in my house, you would know that we constantly hosted family friends. I am used to sharing my space with others, so I don’t mind this at all.”  
"Still... I’ll bake you the biggest cake you have ever seen!” you promised and looked back at the flowers.

You gathered the bouquet in your arms again and buried your nose in the blooms. You liked daisies and the fact that Lin had managed to get a hold of them still left you baffled, especially since he based his gift on one of your favorite movies. He continued studying your face, a content smile on his face, until his phone started ringing.  
“Who might that be?”, he reached for it and looked at the caller ID, “Oh shit. I am too late. I have to get going. I forgot that we have an extra rehearsal today. Uh… I don’t suppose you want to come, too?"

You laughed, “Lin, I am still in my pajamas. But I might swing by during the break between shows? I should be here when Stephan and Diane return later this evening. And I might catch an early night.”  
“So you will be able to sleep without me by your side?” he was obviously teasing you, so you stuck out your tongue at Lin.  
“I only have one night left, so I should get used to it, shouldn’t I?” you replied and Lin frowned.

“Right… only one more day. When will they leave?”  
“Their flight is at 5 pm, we have to endure Stephan till then and after that, you can get rid of me. In a non-murdery way.”  
“I would never get rid of you,” Lin shot back and left the kitchen, once again looking for his scarf. It was lying on the windowsill opposite you. You waited for his return.

“Looking for your scarf?” you asked and Lin nodded.  
“Have you seen it?”  
“It’s over there!”  
He laughed and grabbed it.  
“Maybe I should keep you around, comes in handy,” he mused and you grinned. He must have been joking.

“Aaaand, I have to get going. I will see you after the matinee, right?”  
“Roger that," you agreed and he put the scarf around his neck. Indecisively, he continued to stand in the middle of his kitchen. You were still mesmerized by the daisies, smiling at the flowers and wondering where you could put them. Lin left the kitchen again and returned with his shoes.  
“I’ll text you. And, can you bring me more cake when you come to the theater?” how could you say no to him? Of course, you would do that.

“I’ll bring some, sure.”  
“Sounds good. Ok… I’ll leave now. See you soon.”  
“Have a good show!”,you got up and this time it was you who initiated the hug. Lin was obviously surprised by this but promptly returned the gesture.  
“Thank you again for the daisies. I love them,” you mumbled into his scarf and you felt the man chuckle.

“I wanted to cheer you up. Sounds like I managed to do that!” Lin leaned back and looked at you, still holding you.  
“You definitely eased my mind,” you agreed, looking up at his face. He wasn’t that much taller than you, but you still had to raise your chin to get a good look at him. Lin returned the look and you nervously swallowed. Had the temperature in the room just changed? 

Lin’s one hand pressed comfortably against your lower back, while he used the other to tuck one of your strands of hair behind your ear. When he touched your cheek in the course of doing so, you felt it as intense as if someone had burned you, but you couldn’t stop looking at the intent look on his face.   
Before you could do anything, or rather before Lin was able to continue turning you into a puddle on the floor, his phone went off again. He let you go, frantically looking for the offending object. You instantly missed the hand on your back, but cleared your throat and tried to look busy.  
“I have to go. I even called an Uber, I am way too late. Might be the last time I can play my ‘But I wrote this show’ card.”, he chuckled, did he sound nervous? Maybe you were imagining it?  
“Alrighty. (How old were you? Six? Or a 40-year-old dad?!) I’ll see you in a few hours!”

Instead of hugging you again, Lin waved at you and grabbed his headphones. Once he left the apartment you let yourself sink onto the bench next to the balcony door. The past few minutes had definitely given you some food for thought.


	15. Chapter 15

“He did what now?!” you knew that Daveed had heard you, but you repeated it nevertheless.   
“We had this very strange moment in the kitchen. I don’t know. It was weird. He stared at me and for a moment I actually thought that he might kiss me. But that’s something he wouldn’t do, right?”

Daveed grinned at you and you almost wished that you had not told him about what had happened. You had arrived at the theater 30 minutes ago, Daveed was already finished with stage door business, while Lin was still outside, entertaining the crowd and distributing autographs. The cake he requested was safely stored in your bag, well, mostly to protect it from Daveed.

“Well, I don’t know what he would do, but that sounds pretty damn promising.”  
You snorted, there he was again, putting crazy ideas in your head.  
“Right. Well… I should get going, Lin told me to swing by, we still have to discuss some stuff.”  
Daveed stopped you by taking your hand in his.

“Listen, I am really planning on delivering a speech at your wedding ok?”  
Now you both laughed, but he quickly grew serious again, “Also, what about Stephan and Diane? Everything alright? After his speech yesterday?”  
“I have not talked to him today, Lin took over and I got up after they left. But I will see them tonight. I will think about what to say but might keep it to myself until Sunday. I actually enjoy Diane’s company, so for her sake, I’ll play nice.”

Daveed nodded, deep in thought. Then his phone went off.  
“Oh, I forgot. I actually have a real girlfriend and am meeting her for lunch! I have to get ready!”  
He was suddenly frantic and almost pushed you out the door. You laughed.  
“Give Jalene my love. I definitely have to see her again at some point!”  
“Noted!” Daveed quickly hugged you and practically ran towards the stage door.

After the weird goodbye between Daveed and you, you made your way to Lin’s dressing room. You met Renée on your way, who also stopped you.  
“Hey, everything alright with you?” she asked, obviously concerned after meeting your brother the night before.  
“Yeah, I am hanging in there. Thanks again for what you did yesterday. I owe you one.”  
She stopped you with a wave of her hand.  
“Don’t mention it. But I might come back to this once we have a birthday at home and are in desperate need of a cake!”

"I'll come up with something," you smiled at her and she hugged you for a long time. You were interrupted by Lin, who finally arrived, nose red from the cold.  
“Making friends without me, huh?”  
“Don’t be scared, I am not here to steal her from you!” Renée winked at you and you tried to not roll your eyes, why was everyone so supportive of a non-existing relationship?  
Lin grinned and opened the door to his dressing room.

“After you!” he did a comical bow and after saying bye to Renée, you entered the room. It was warm inside and Lin immediately shrugged off his coat.  
“It was wild out there today. But I think we made a lot of people happy. And that’s always good!”  
He did not seem nervous at all, so you pushed what had happened to the back of your head.

“I brought something to make you happy. Apart from me of course,” where did that come from? Lin turned to you, surprised about your sudden leap of self-confidence. Maybe you tried to subconsciously compensate for your ‘Alrighty’.  
“Uh… I was talking about cake,” you quickly clarified and he was obviously trying to not laugh at you.

“Sorry, I was just… that was amazing,”, he chuckled and you raised an eyebrow.  
“Do you want the cake or not?”  
“Oh, I do!” Lin tried to not laugh anymore and you took the cake out of your bag. He promptly tried to grab it and you took it away from him.  
“What’s the magic word?”  
“Come on, you’re killing me!” Lin tried to get to the cake but you continued to stare at him, waiting for a ‘please’.

“Ok, alright. Please, can I have some cake?”  
“Works!” you answered and handed it to him. He must have been hungry, the piece was gone after two minutes. Luckily you had brought more, which was the cause for a very happy Lin.  
“That’s the best break I ever had! And I didn’t even have a nap!”  
“You can still take a nap, I don’t mind,” you quickly said, examining the bags under his eyes.

“Really?”, he questioned and you nodded, smiling at him.  
“I am not here to keep you from sleeping. And doing the show must be exhausting!”  
Lin nodded, clearly thinking about something.  
“Talking about doing the show… when will we do karaoke?”

Before you could come up with an answer, the door swung open.  
“Groff! How often did I tell you to knock! I could have been naked!” Lin wasn’t really outraged, but it was still funny to watch.  
Jonathan Groff laughed and realized that you were in the room, too.  
“Oh, you brought the pretend girlfriend! Hey (Y/N)! We didn’t really have time to talk at all, did we?”

You liked him, had liked him since watching Glee, but you would not admit that.  
“Not really, but that’s something we can change!”  
“Already like you!” Jonathan sat down next to you and Lin groaned.  
“Now I’ll never get my nap…” Jonathan and you laughed. You knew that people were constantly celebrating their friendship on the internet and came up with an idea.

“You could take a nap together? Twitter will love that!”  
Lin was taken with your idea, looking questioningly at Jonathan. The man next to you simply shrugged.  
“I will do everything for that platform. They are all so lovely!”  
“Well, I never show you the nasty comments!” Lin retorted and Jonathan feigned shock.  
“Oh, really?” He was imitating his King George role and you and Lin laughed.

“Come on guys, make yourselves comfortable and I will take the picture!”  
Both of them complied and almost adopted the same position that you and Lin went for two days ago. This time Lin was draped over Jonathan and you had to really try and not laugh while taking the photo.

“Ok, got it!”, they both jumped up and Lin took your phone.  
“That looks great, can you send it to me?” Jonathan joined you.  
“I want that too. You don’t have my number, right? Just give me your phone!”  
You handed the phone to Jonathan and he added himself to your contacts. Afterward, you sent the photo to both of them and in a span of three minutes, it appeared on Twitter. Lin had linked you as the photographer, which started the by now well-known rumor mill.

Jonathan and you were still laughing about what you just did when you noticed Lin rubbing his face. He looked tired, even though he apparently had a good night’s sleep, you could see how his job was wearing him out.  
“I should get going. Lin, you need to sleep!”  
“Yes, listen to her Lin!” Jonathan grinned at his friend and Lin nodded wearily.

“I’ll be home after midnight. You don’t have to wait for me,” he told you, but you shook your head.  
“I will wait. Have a good show!” Lin smiled at you and before you could leave he hugged you, which made you recall the moment you had in the morning. He apparently thought about it too, since he quickly let go of you.  
“Ok, goodbye. I’ll see you later!”  
Jonathan cleared his throat, “I actually came by to talk to you about something. Can you spare five minutes before taking a nap?”

Lin nodded and gave you another wave.  
“Have fun boys!”, you called out to them before leaving the dressing room. It had been a very short visit, but you enjoyed it nevertheless. When leaving the theater, you received a text from Daveed, which you read on your way to the subway.  
‘If you really want to test your attraction to Lin, search for Hey Ya Rosa Parks on Youtube. If you still like him after that, I will tease you till the end of time.’

You did not know what he meant by that and put your phone away, it would have to wait until later. The subway wasn’t too crowded and you actually enjoyed the ride to Lin’s neighborhood. Before going back to his apartment, you stopped at a supermarket. You wanted to make something for dinner, you needed to eat and maybe Lin would be up for something once he returned.

It was ironical, but you actually were not the best cook, you only ever really managed to bake cakes. That’s why most of the things you were able to cook without a cookbook were pasta dishes, which was what you were shopping for now. You also stocked up on the cocoa powder you had seen on Lin’s cupboard. After paying and picking up a loaf of bread in a nearby local bakery, you walked back to his apartment complex. You knew hat Diane and Stephen would not be home until later that night, so you looked forward to spending some time alone and watching some Netflix.

When you opened the door, the already familiar smell greeted you. You quickly put the groceries away, realizing that Lin already had some of the ingredients you had bought. You shrugged, it was never wrong to be prepared. You turned to the coffee maker, looking at is skeptically. Would you be able to get a good cup of coffee out of it? Cautiously you followed the steps that you had seen when Lin had been busy with the machine in the morning and by some miracle, you actually managed to prepare a steaming cup of coffee.

After sitting down on the couch you remembered the text you had received from Daveed. You fished your phone out of your bag and entered the words he had sent you. You quickly found the video he was talking about and tapped on it. Confusion was the right word to describe your state, why was the band half-naked? And why was Lin wearing something similar to a pajama set? And a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hat that matched his pants? 

You watched the whole thing. It was obvious that Lin had fun during that performance, you had also never seen pants that were so loose and thin on the man. Which did not leave much to your imagination. You could feel your face grow hot, you already knew that you liked him, but that was another level. He was definitely able to move his hips, that much was true. You furiously typed a reply to Daveed.

‘Why did you send this to me?! Can you even imagine what I am feeling right now?!’  
He apparently was able to text back, they still had a few minutes before their final call for the second show.  
‘Oh, so it went down alright? I think the term you might be thinking about is… aroused?’  
‘Shut up!’, you texted back, putting your phone away. You could almost hear him laugh and decided to angrily watch American Horror Story on Netflix. How dare Daveed?! It would take you hours to get that video out of your head.

You had not forgotten about the TMNT pants by the time you prepared a simple tomato sauce for the pasta you had bought. You knew that Daveed knew this as well, he had sent you a gif of the performance and you answered with a gif of a kid that flipped him off. Very, very mature. The video haunted you throughout the evening, you tried to get some work done, only to be reminded about the way in which Lin sometimes curled his lip while singing. It was hopeless. After getting distracted time and time again, you decided to go back to watching Netflix, that was a lot better to pass the time.

It was a quarter past eleven when you could hear the doorbell ring. Stephan and Diane were already back, you had expected them around the same time that Lin would return. You got up, surprised at how dark it had gotten in the living room. You had lit the candle you brought with you and a few small lamps that Lin had put around the room, but when you entered the hallway, you were greeted by darkness. After turning on the light you buzzed your brother and Diane in and went outside the apartment to greet them.

The first one you spotted was Stephan, he was carrying Diane’s shoes in one hand and her bag in the other. That was actually quite sweet. You whispered a, “Hello” to him and he returned it in the same hushed tones, people were probably already sleeping! Diane followed him and you closed the door behind them.  
“Already back?” You asked when they put their coats on some hangers.

“Diane got really tired, so we decided to get back. I definitely need to shower, so…,” Stephan trailed off and you took the shoes from him.  
“Just… take the shower, I’ll make some tea for Diane and myself,” you said and he nodded to you. That was probably the most civil talk you had had in ages.  
Diane had vanished in the guest room and when she returned you had already prepared two cups of tea. She was wearing a matching set of pajamas and took a seat at the kitchen table.

“Thank you,” Diane grabbed the mug and took a tentative sip.  
“How was the wedding?” You asked, genuinely curious about what had happened. Diane immediately began to tell you all about the gorgeous wedding dress and the venue. The theme had been Winter Wonderland (so original), but it looked amazing if Diane was to be believed.  
“So you had fun?” You checked and she nodded.  
“Well… as much fun as one can have without alcohol. That was hard,” she mused, obviously not thinking about her words.

“Wait? You didn’t drink?” You were a bit surprised, you had seen her drink on special occasions, so that was news to you.  
“Oops-a-daisy,” Diane giggled, this was caused by her lack of sleep, not any alcohol. You waited for an explanation. She leaned closer to you, all conspiratorial.  
“Listen. You are not allowed to say ANYTHING to Stephan, ok? Apart from my mom and sister, you are the only one that will know about it. You can tell Lin if you want… he is nice! You are such a cute couple!” Diane was obviously digressing. 

“Focus Diane!”  
“Ok, ok. As you might have guessed by now, I am pregnant!” She looked at you, expecting any kind of reaction. To be honest, you were shocked. First of all, because she had told you. Secondly, because you did not know how to react. She sensed your confusion.  
“Listen, I don’t want you to jump for joy, but you have to give me something!”

You listened to your inner voice. You were definitely happy for her… and Stephan, to your surprise. Maybe a child was the right route for him? It would probably make him focus on something else and even though he was quite harsh towards you, you always knew that he wanted a family. That’s why you got up and finally embraced your sister-in-law.  
“I am happy for you. And Stephan! When are you planning on telling him?”  
Diane returned your embrace and to your surprise, you could see tears forming in her eyes.

“Oh no, I did not mean to make you cry!” You quickly said and she sniffled, smiling at the same time.  
“No no, it’s not your fault. I am just happy that you are happy. I know that Stephan can be hard on you and that we never really had a great relationship. But I really do value you, you know that, right?”  
“Well, are you sure you did not drink anything? You sound drunk?”  
You both laughed and sat down again.

“Might be the hormones. I have known since Thursday and I want to tell him tomorrow. He didn’t really pick up on me not drinking anything and my overall tiredness these past few weeks. That’s actually why I went to get checked, I have never been so tired!”  
You patted her back, which was a bit awkward, especially since Stephan entered the kitchen right this moment. He looked at you both, an unspoken question in his eyes.  
“Are you alright Diane?” There was definitely concern in his voice.

“Yeah, just tired. I’ll get rid of my makeup. Thanks again (Y/N), let’s… talk some more tomorrow, ok?”  
You nodded, and she quickly pressed your hand before leaving in the direction of the bathroom.

Stephan now sat down opposite you, both of you not knowing what to do.  
“So… did you have fun at the wedding?” You finally broke the ice and he relaxed.  
“It was ok. I am not the biggest fan of loud gatherings, but you know that,” for the first time you could see that he was tired, too. He had more wrinkles on his face than before and rubbed his eyes.  
“Are you alright?” The question led to Stephan looking at you, thinking about what to answer.

“I’m just tired I guess. The past few weeks were full of work. And I worry about Diane, she seems worn out. Maybe we should take a week off soon,” he thought aloud, probably due to him being tired. You nodded along to what he was saying.  
“Sounds great. You could do that, they will manage without you for a week, right?”  
It felt surprisingly good to just sit down and talk to your brother. He seemed to like it too and told you a bit more about the embarrassing speeches that he had to listen to at the wedding, so when Diane returned, she found you getting along. Stephan immediately got up when she entered.

“Ready to catch some sleep?” He asked and she nodded.  
“Goodnight (Y/N),” she said and you winked at her, Diane’s secret was safe with you and with a quiet “Goodnight,” Stephan followed his wife. Had he been kidnapped by aliens? You did not know, but it made your evening a lot better.

In the meantime, Lin had sent you a message and you opened it as soon as you could hear the guest bedroom door close.  
‘I’ll be home in ten. Still awake?’  
You checked the time, you still had five minutes. Without thinking about it, you put some milk on the stove and waited for it to boil. Time for you to make hot chocolate!  
‘Yep, I am still wide awake. See you in a bit!’  
He did read the message and you went back to the milk.

When you could hear the key turn in the lock, you put the finishing touch on the hot chocolate, namely the miniature marshmallows. With a loud thud, Lin put down his bag and shoes and followed the sounds you were making to the kitchen. He looked tired, his hair was still sticky from the gel they put in it and he was wearing a worn-out hoodie, obviously ready to go to bed. He greeted you with a sleepy smile.

“Heya,” great… you were immediately reminded of the Outkast Medley video that Daveed had put in your head. You kept your cool though.  
“Hey, how was the show?”  
“Great. The audience loved it… or if not, nobody told me anything negative,” Lin suppressed a yawn and finally realized that you were standing in front of him, with a steaming mug.

“Wait… is that hot chocolate?”  
“You are right Sherlock! I thought you might need a little comfort drink,”, you shrugged and he took the mug from you and put it on the table. Then he hugged you.  
“Thank you,” it was quite different from the hug in the morning, this one felt comfortable, which could have been attributed to the slouchy way in which Lin leaned on you.  
“Ok, you should get ready for bed,”, you laughed and he nodded against your shoulder.  
“In a bit,” he mumbled, you were legitimately concerned for him. Would he just fall asleep against you?

It took him another 30 seconds to let go again.  
“I’ll take a quick shower and will let this cool down. Would you be scandalized if I drink it in bed?”  
You shook your head.  
“No, you go and take that shower. I’ll take this to the bedroom. See you in a bit!”  
He nodded and left the room. That was definitely something new, but you enjoyed the newfound coziness as you carried the mug to the bedroom. It felt almost familiar when you put it on Lin’s bedside table and crawled under the sheets on the side that was assigned to you. Now you only had to wait for the sleepyhead to appear again. You could not drown in the shower because you were tired, right?


	16. Chapter 16

Apparently, that Saturday was not the day on which Lin-Manuel Miranda would drown in his own shower. He did find his way back to you after approximately ten minutes, but to your dismay, he was wearing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pants you had just seen in the video, paired with a plain black t-shirt. You groaned when he stepped into the room and he gave you a questioning look.

“Is something wrong?”  
“No… Nevermind. I put the hot chocolate on your nightstand,” you mumbled and tried to look everywhere but the front of his pants. You felt betrayed by your fortune, first of all, you had definitely not tried to feel anything for Lin other than friendship. Now you were definitely attracted to him, how could you not, with his charming personality. Daveed’s suggestion had now added at least some kind of sexual attraction to the mix and the thought alone made your cheeks grow hot.

Lin was still looking at you but had climbed into bed.  
“Are you really ok? You look a bit feverish?”  
You scoffed, “That’s rich coming from you. You almost fell asleep on me back in the kitchen.”  
Lin had grabbed the mug and was leaning comfortably against his pillows. He was still radiating fatigue but seemed a bit more present than before.

“I cannot deny that, so… I’ll let your weird behavior slide. For now. Thanks again for the hot chocolate. I really appreciate it,” Lin took a sip and nodded to you.  
“No problem. You’ve been doing so much for me, that’s the least I could do. And don’t even start with your ‘I like doing this for you’ speech, I can see how tired you are and I feel like I am to blame for that,” you sighed and Lin handed the mug over to you. For a second you only stared at him.

“Take that. Drink. And listen,” Lin waited until you followed his instructions. The drink was good and you were even able to snatch a few marshmallows. Once he was satisfied with you being silent he began speaking again.  
“I won’t do my speech, you made it quite clear that I have said that way too many times. Still, I like doing this. And don’t feel bad because I am tired. I am constantly exhausted, I don’t know if you have noticed these fashionable bags that I have been carrying with me under my eyes.”

You both snorted and Lin took the hot chocolate back.  
“What I am trying to say is that I am always tired. I love what I am doing but I think I am getting too old. Maybe I need a planned bedtime and generally more sleep. This will cost me the rest of my good looks,” Lin grinned and you shook your head.  
“Keep talking Miranda.”  
“Is that my nickname? Nothing original?!” Lin sounded scandalized but he knew that it was all in good fun.

“By the way, how was your evening?” He continued to ask and you quickly thought about what to tell him. You would definitely not talk about that video, that was out of the question!  
“I did talk to Diane for some time when she and Stephan returned. They were home quite early since she was tired.”  
“Tired? Is she getting sick? That would leave a bad impression on me I guess. I cannot even keep my guests safe!”  
You laughed, “No no… I also talked to Stephan it was quite… civilized. I was surprised. But to get back to Diane, she told me a secret. And she said that I could tell you!”

Lin turned to you, suddenly more awake than before.  
“A secret? I love secrets!” He looked like a child on Christmas morning and you had to laugh before you were able to answer him in a coherent sentence.  
“Ok, get ready for the secret! Diane is,”, you performed a small drumroll with your hands against your thighs, “Pregnant! That’s why she has been so tired and it also explains her eating so much in so little time. Remember how she wolfed down the cake on Friday?”  
“Well, I thought it was because that cake was delicious!”

You cocked your head and Lin shrugged, “Just saying. But, I think that’s great news! Does Stephan know?”  
“Not yet, she is planning on telling him tomorrow she said. Well, in the near future. I hope a baby will be beneficial for him and our relationship,” you sighed and Lin put the cup back onto his nightstand. He barely stifled a yawn and smoothed his hair back.

“Let’s talk more tomorrow. You still look tired and I need to sleep too,” you decided for the both of you and rolled over to turn off the light on your side of the bed. The bed you were still sharing with Lin, but only until tomorrow.  
“Sounds like a great idea!” Lin followed your example, but you were still able to see him, thanks to the bright moonlight that fell into the room.

It was weird that this whole thing would end tomorrow. You enjoyed being with Lin, unsurprisingly, and enjoyed it even more since your feelings had made an appearance. Things would definitely change once you went back to your apartment and life. Sure, you would still be able to see Lin, your friendship had only gotten deeper over the weekend and maybe a small part of you even believed that there was something else developing between the two of you. Daveed at least thought so, and you seemed to be quite convincing as a couple if one were to trust Diane and Stephan.

The mattress on your right shifted and you turned your face to Lin’s side. Was he staring at you?  
“Lin?”  
“Yup?”  
“Are you staring at me?”  
You could clearly see him smile at you, “I might be. Little advice, try to stop thinking! Even I noticed that there is a lot going on in your head right now. I cannot sleep with that kind of disturbance.”

You sighed, “I am sorry. I’ll try to go to sleep now, too.”  
“What were you thinking about?” Why was Lin so nosey?  
“Uh… Stephan and Diane,” well, that was not a lie. Lin shifted again and rolled back so that he was staring at the ceiling.  
“Stephan will come around eventually,” he mumbled and you nodded, not realizing that he could not see that.

Both of you fell quiet and for some time you did not know what to answer. Finally, you turned around, looking at Lin’s profile in the dimly light room.  
“I hope so,” you said, but this time he did not reply.  
“Lin?”, still nothing. You propped yourself up on your elbow and tried to really look at him in the dark. He was asleep, actually fast asleep. His chest was moving evenly and his face had finally relaxed. With a sigh you let yourself sink back into the pillows on your side of the bed. Time to try and sleep, too.

 

At first, you did not know what had led to you waking up. It was still dark, normal for a winter morning, but it felt earlier than the day before. With bated breath, you listened for what could have caused your awakening. You heard nothing, but suddenly felt a rush of warm air on your neck. Still half-asleep you squealed and tried to wiggle away from whatever was going on behind you. Your left foot met something solid and the relative quiet was immediately disturbed by a loud, “Argh!”

Before you could react, something hit you in the face.  
“Oh my god!” Your hands flew to your face and you could feel something move from under your head. Within a few seconds, the light on Lin’s side of the bed was turned on and you could hear him moving next to you. What was going on?!

“Hey, hey… are you alright?” For a second you forgot the pain that was currently spreading from your right eye to your cheek when you heard Lin’s gravelly voice somewhere above you.  
“Let me see that,” he continued and slowly peeled away your hands from your face. You needed a second to adjust to the light, but soon made out Lin who was examining your face.

“How bad is it? And what the fuck happened?” You definitely had zero pain tolerance and it was showing. Lin barely managed to suppress a laugh.  
“This might be a bit awkward, but we kind of found our way back to one another while sleeping. I remember waking up because I think I heard something? You apparently did too and suddenly you kicked me in the shin. I was still half asleep and when I flinched, my arm, on which you were sleeping, must have hit you in the face. I am so, so sorry!”

“I am in awe of your combination skills in the morning,” you admitted. He must have been right, you could remember that he was lying behind you, just like last night. This time he must have not put an arm around you, but you had somehow managed to roll onto his left arm while sleeping.  
“And I am in awe that I could even move my arm. You cut off my blood circulation!”  
You both laughed, but you winced when your eye started to sting.

“Shit. Wait, just let me…” Lin leaned over you, not very gracefully since he almost smashed your face even more by losing his balance. He barely avoided hitting you in the face with his chest, to be honest, there were worse things, but you were glad that you did not need to suffer more. After turning on your light, Lin crawled back and helped you sit up a bit.

“How is your leg? I am sorry. I just… did you breathe on my neck? I was surprised that’s all,” you sheepishly tried to explain and Lin laughed.  
“My leg is alright, and yeah, I tend to breathe from time to time.”  
You got a better look at him in the light of the lamps, half his hair had found its way out of the bun he was wearing to sleep and you giggled.  
“What’s so funny? I am trying to help!” Lin himself did chuckle when you pointed at his hair and he felt around his head.  
“It’s just, you look funny with half your hair out.”

He took out the hair tie completely and put it on his nightstand.  
“Since you are not bothered by the hair, right?” Oh god, he remembered. You grew silent when he went back to looking at your face, his fingertips lightly brushed against the outer edge of your eye and your cheekbone. You were almost tempted to lift your arms and try to feel his face. You did not follow your instincts. After some time Lin took up a more comfortable sitting position in front of you.

“And?” You asked, curious about what he had gathered so far. Lin grimaced and cleared his throat.  
“Well… the good news is that I am apparently extremely strong, even if a certain someone cuts off the blood circulation in my arm. The bad news is that I might have given you a black eye.”  
Your eyes widened in surprise, or rather only your left eye, the right one hurt while doing so.  
“You didn’t!”  
“To my defense, you kicked me first!” Lin tried to smile at you but when you did not return the gesture he grew serious.

“I am so sorry. Really, now everyone will think that I am hitting my girlfriend!” Lin looked apologetic, so you decided to make the best of it.  
“It’s ok. I might have to kick you again for that though. I think as long as you provide me with some paracetamol and an ice pack, I should be alright. The last time I had a black eye was when Daveed accidentally punched me quite hard during a theater workshop.”  
You laughed at the memory, even though you also remembered that your brother had been livid.

Lin still looked glum, so you leaned forward and put your hands on his. He looked up at you.  
“Listen, it’s alright. I have been through worse things. And who can say that they have been punched by Lin-Manuel Miranda?!”  
Now he smiled and you stretched in an exaggerated manner, to show him that you were really ok.  
“So, it’s…” he looked at his watch, “half past six right now. We can get up I guess. I will provide you with the best coffee I have ever made and a nice dose of paracetamol.”

“That sounds promising. I’ll just check my face in the bathroom mirror and will join you then!” Lin climbed out of bed after you agreed with his plan and you followed him a lot slower. As you had proclaimed, you went to the bathroom first, to look at the damage on your face. Lin had been right, his arm had done more harm than you had anticipated. You would definitely see the bruise for more than a few days, the area around your eye had already begun to turn darker and even your cheekbone was sensitive to the touch.

“So pretty,” you mumbled and quickly brushed your teeth before making your way to the kitchen. The scent of coffee greeted you in the hallway, which did make the situation a bit better. Lin had closed the door to the kitchen, probably to avoid waking up Diane and Stephan. You slipped into the warm room, the coffee smell grew stronger, and immediately spotted Lin. He was busy looking for something in a drawer but still looked up to greet you.

“Hey, so… how’s the eye in your opinion?”  
“I guess I will have to endure it for a few weeks but like I said. It’s ok, it was an accident.”  
You walked over to the bench and sat down, Lin turned to you. Oh great, you had forgotten about his pants. He did notice you looking at them.  
“Are you staring at my pants?” He inquired, but continued before you could answer, “I think they are rather flashy, aren’t they? I bought them for a gig once, never parted with them. They are really comfortable.”  
He did a little dance in them and you tried to focus on the coffee, which was still sitting on the kitchen counter.

“They are really something. Is that my coffee?”, you finally managed to say and he nodded, making sure to hand the cup to you.  
“Oh, and here is your medication. Does it hurt a lot?”  
You took the pills from him, a glass of water was already in front of you.  
“It’s more of a throbbing pain, but I’ll manage.”, you clarified and he nodded along to what you were saying. He once again took the seat opposite you, with a coffee of his own in hand. For a few minutes none of you talked, you could hear cars on the streets and a few people talking outside and simply enjoyed the calm moment.

Lin interrupted your thoughts, “By the way, I did find a glass on the kitchen counter, so either Diane or Stephan must have gotten up at one point to drink something. Maybe that was the noise that woke us up?”  
“Could be. So I have to thank one of them for my latest accessory?” You pointed to your eye and laughed, even Lin joined in.  
“Probably, although I would argue that I am the cause for that. Sorry.”

“Stop it! Now I know how you feel when I continue to apologize for making you act like my boyfriend,” you dramatically rolled your eyes and could see him grin at you.  
“I would say we’re even now,” Lin laughed again and you enjoyed seeing him a bit more relaxed, he did seem concerned after hitting you by accident.  
“And after today you won’t have to tolerate me anymore. I will leave you alone,” you tried to sound cheerful, but it was difficult. Lin did not laugh about what you had just said, he simply continued looking at you.

You returned the look and for some time you were staring at each other until Lin cleared his throat.  
“We won’t have to act anymore I guess. But I still want to see you,” he took a sip from his coffee and you tried to stay calm, “We have become such good friends. I think. Right? And it was fun, I would not mind—“

Lin was interrupted by the kitchen door. You were ready to murder whoever had interrupted you but tried to not show that when you spotted Diane.  
“Am I interrupting something?” She asked and Lin shook his head, trying to keep busy by putting his hair into a ponytail. Since you could not say something along the lines of, ‘Actually, you do, I want to know what Lin was about to say!’, you followed his example and shook your head.

“Do you want a coffee too? Or… wait, are you still allowed to drink coffee?”, Lin asked and Diane chuckled, taking a seat next to you.  
“As long as I don’t drink it all day long, I should be fine.”  
He nodded, “Oh, congratulations by the way! Wonderful news!”  
Lin awkwardly hugged Diane and she turned to you while he prepared another cup of coffee.

Suddenly her face turned white, “Oh my god! What happened to your eye?!”  
She impulsively reached out to touch your cheek, but you stopped her hand.  
“It’s ok. Lin accidentally hit me with his arm while sleeping. I know that sounds like a really lame excuse, but that’s how I got this pretty black eye,” you shrugged and Diane looked from you to Lin. Then she giggled, “Sorry, but that’s hilarious.”

You were glad that she was laughing about it, Lin apparently felt better about the situation too. Once Diane got her coffee, she took a sip and you decided to ask her about her pregnancy.  
“When will you tell Stephan?”  
“I thought maybe tonight when we get home? Or tomorrow, before we go to work. I actually don’t know if there is a perfect time.”

“As long as he’ll be happy, time or place does not matter. I guess, I am definitely not an expert on that,” Lin threw in and you nodded, he was right. As long as both people were happy, it did not really matter how to tell someone. Diane thought about it for a while.  
“I guess that’s true. I don’t really have a lot of friends with babies, so I don’t know either.”  
“I would simply tell the father. No need to create a big surprise thingy,” you mused and she turned to you.

“So if you and Lin were to have a baby, what would you do?”  
You had momentarily forgotten about the charade and quickly looked to Lin. He shrugged, great help.  
“Uh… I guess I would maybe cook something nice and tell him in a quiet moment?” you almost stumbled over your words, suddenly feeling nervous under Diane’s and Lin’s gaze.  
He smiled warmly at you, while Diane cocked her head to the side.

“That sounds like a great idea. Maybe I’ll do that on Monday. I am so happy that I told you!” Diane hugged you and you awkwardly returned it with only your right arm.  
“Let’s hope Stephan is as happy about being a dad as you are about being a mum,” Lin announced and you all laughed until someone cleared their throat.

Oh no. You looked up, only to find Stephan standing in the doorway. He looked shocked and for once in your life, that shock was not directed at you. Diane had frozen next to you, staring at her husband with wide eyes. Lin and you exchanged looks, not sure about what to do. Stephan beat you to saying something.  
“You are pregnant?” His voice was scarily calm, something Diane also felt. She did not answer him, still too overwhelmed.  
You talked in her stead, “She definitely planned on telling you in another way. But yes, Diane and you will be parents.”

Your attempt at a smile was met with a scowl by Stephan.  
“And she told you? You told my sister?!”, he addressed the second question to Diane who nodded slowly.  
“It just happened yesterday. I did not plan on telling someone before telling you. I am sorry,” your sister-in-law sounded upset and you could see tears welling up in her eyes. You got up and took a tentative step towards Stephan.

“Aren’t you happy? You always wanted children?” You tried to steer the conversation in a different direction.  
Stephan took a shaking breath, “I did not have the time to process, now did I? I guess I am happy. But I am not happy that you knew before me! And I am not happy that apparently everyone in this room knew, but me!”  
He turned on his heel and stomped away. Diane looked at you, helpless and unable to react in any way. You sighed.  
“I will talk to him. Wait here,” you concluded and Lin got up.

“Are you sure?” He seemed concerned and you nodded.  
“If I need help, I’ll get back to you,” with that you left the room and followed Stephan to the guest bedroom. He was sitting on the bed, his head in his hands, talking quietly to himself. You slowly approached him.

“Stephan?” He looked up at you once you said his name.  
“What happened to your face?”  
“Just a little accident, not important. Are you… are you ok?” You sat down next to him and carefully put your hand on his back. You could feel how tense he was.  
“I don’t know,” he sighed and you tried to think of what to say next.  
“Maybe you should talk to Diane? I think she is scared that you don’t want a child?”

“I do want children. I just have to get used to this. I never thought that it would happen now. I am happy about this, I just thought that she would tell me before telling you, of all people.”  
That stung. You tried to stay calm.  
“She did not plan on telling me, it kind of… slipped out last night. And I am happy that she told me.”

In your opinion, the conversation had been quite civil up until that point, but you apparently were not allowed to have nice things. Stephan turned to you, suddenly angry again.  
“You are happy that she told you? Why? Because you think we will welcome you as our child’s favorite aunt? Don’t stress yourself, there are very qualified people in Diane’s family.”  
“You don’t mean that. Come on. We are family,” you said, removing your hand from his back. You tried to tell yourself that he was still in shock.

“But I do mean it. Diane might like you, but you will only put stupid ideas in our child’s head. Like exploring your artistic side. Or rebelling against what your parents want. You’ll probably be the aunt that will take them to their first concert, or plan a silly vacation around some European country. Which will be financed by your boyfriend, if he is able to tolerate you until then,” Stephan did not even need to stop for a breath while delivering his rant.

Instead of trying to come up with something, you quickly got up and left the room. Where was your brother from last night? The one you wanted to connect with and that made you excited for years to come?  
When you stormed out of the guest bedroom, you were greeted by Lin and Diane in the hallway. Lin only needed one look at your face to understand that the conversation had not been positive.

“What happened?” He asked, quickly followed by a, “Is he very angry?!” from Diane.  
“Only angry with me,” you tried to calm her down and Lin also turned to Diane.  
“Would you mind going back to the kitchen, Diane? I need to talk to (Y/N),” Diane followed Lin’s request and once she vanished he raised an eyebrow at you.  
“So, what happened?”  
“Nothing. Same old story. You won’t be a good aunt, you will teach my child to rebel, you will shower it with gifts that are financed by your boyfriend because you will never be enough. But remember, maybe he won't tolerate you for long. I know the drill,” you tried to sound calm and not let your sorrow show.

Lin, of course, saw right through you. You could hear him breathe heavily and when you looked up to him a deep crease had formed between his eyebrows.  
“Enough is enough. I have been quiet this weekend, but that stops now. Not the biggest fan of confrontation but I guess I’ll have to make an exception,” before you were able to stop him, Lin rushed past you and pushed open the door to the guest bedroom. Diane had heard his plan from the kitchen and joined you in the hallway. This was about to get serious.


	17. Chapter 17

Diane and you did not follow Lin into the room, it was probably best to give the two men some privacy. You also suddenly remembered that Lin was still wearing his childish pajama pants which definitely did not do anything to support him in being confrontational. It made you chuckle, even though there really wasn’t any reason to do so. Diane looked at you.

“I am sorry. It’s not funny. Are you alright?” You asked and she shakily nodded. Before she even had the chance to say anything in return, you could hear Stephan’s furious voice from the guest bedroom. Until then, Lin must have been talking at a normal volume.  
“Who do you think you are? You’re just walking up to me and trying to talk for my sister when she apparently doesn’t even have the balls to come up with her own defense?!”  
You held your breath, waiting for Lin to respond. The door to the bedroom stood ajar and you and Diane crept a bit nearer to it.

It did not take long until Lin lost his cool.  
“Who do I think I am? Oh, I don’t know. Only won numerous prices for what I do and, might I remind you, that you are currently in MY apartment? Which I bought with my own money, just to let you know since material things seem to mean a lot to you. I opened my home to you, knowing how tense the situation between you and (Y/N) is. I thought, maybe we can deal with it, but every time I think your relationship might get better, you continue to fuck it up big time. And don’t even start with the whole ‘my sister won’t come up with her own defense’ thing.” While talking about your defense, Lin clearly mocked Stephan with his intonation, just like Hamilton does with Jefferson on stage every night. 

Diane was listening intently next to you, waiting for Stephan’s response. Your brother’s silence was unusually long, so Lin continued, his already high voice climbing a few notes.

“I can understand your shock, I can understand that a sibling relationship is hard from time to time and I can understand that your anger might be coming from a good place, but Jesus. Telling (Y/N) that she will be harming your kid by teaching it to rebel? And let me tell you, she will be more than ready to buy her own presents for the kid. Not because I won’t tolerate her and break up with her, but because she works hard. And you don’t even see that because you are too supercilious to acknowledge what she has achieved. You should be ashamed of yourself. You not only hurt your wife with your behavior but also your sister. There will come a time when you will have to rely on each other and if you continue acting like a complete dumbass she might not be willing to do so. Which would be a loss for you, Diane, and your child. Or children. Who knows. So, I’d advise you to get your head out of your ass, act like a grown man and finally try to patch up your relationship.”

Another stretch of silence followed Lin’s speech and you could feel Diane tensing up next to you. You were just as anxious, what would Stephan respond? Both men remained silent a bit longer, you could imagine Lin staring down your brother which, again, must look a bit weird in his childish pajamas opposite Stephan who had been wearing matching pajamas from an early age. Finally, you could hear your brother clear his throat.

“I… am sorry. I did not mean to go off on you. That was uncalled for.”  
You could hear ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ playing in your head, was this the real-life or was this just fantasy?! Was Stephan apologizing? You also heard Lin snort in response.  
“I do appreciate that apology, but maybe you should talk to your wife. And your sister. No need to suddenly turn into a happy family, but that’s just a thought.”

For Lin, the conversation was over, you could hear him approach the hallway and when he walked out the guest bedroom door he looked at you and Diane in surprise.  
“Have you been eavesdropping?”  
“Of course!” You responded and Lin shook his head, smiling his goofy smile. He still seemed to be a bit tense though, so you turned to Diane.  
“Maybe you should try and talk to Stephan? We’ll give you some space…”

“Alright. We’ll join you later I guess,” she looked nervous and you grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.  
“We’ll be around. I think he is genuinely happy about the baby. Just shocked,” you told her and it actually seemed to work. With newfound confidence, Diane went into the bedroom and left Lin and you standing in the hallway.

“Let’s go to the living room, I need to calm down,” Lin suggested and you followed him. He turned on a few lamps and stopped in front of a bigger window, looking out over the city. You walked up to him, not knowing what to say. There was only one thing that would work, to be honest.

“Lin?” - “Hm?” - “Thank you.”  
You stopped next to him, forcing him to turn to you.  
“It’s ok. I could not tolerate his behavior anymore. I really hope he’ll change at some point. Also… I am not the best at these kinds of conversations, so I hope I was at least somewhat convincing.”  
You smiled at him, “You were. I have never heard Stephan back down so quickly. Daveed has argued with him a number of times and they mostly ended up walking away from each other, fuming. I was concerned for a second with you in you cartoon pants… but I have to say, I have never heard you being so… mean? It was kind of…” You were searching for the right word.

“Sexy?” Lin laughed and you lightly punched his arm. Sure, now that you were thinking about it, it had been sexy. But you would not tell him that.  
“Let’s stick with unexpected.”  
“Bummer,” Lin shrugged but had definitely lightened up a bit more.

“Let’s hope he’ll start to behave soon,” he added and walked to the couch. You followed him and both of you sat down, much closer than you had anticipated. Lin rubbed his face with one hand, stifling a yawn.  
“Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. They will leave at some point though, so that’s something I am looking forward to. I did enjoy Diane’s company, but I need to get back to waking up without dreading what Stephan might do,” you sighed.

“And mornings without getting hit in the face I presume,” Lin chuckled, but his face grew serious, “How is your eye? It’s quite… dark.”  
You carefully felt around the edge of your right eye. Your cheek bone was still slightly throbbing and when you touched the bruised spots around your eye, you winced.  
“Peachy,” you managed to get out, which only resulted in a compassionate look from Lin.

“Wait a second,” he got up and walked away. You did not really try to guess where he went, instead you focused on the headache that had started again. When Lin returned, he softly touched your shoulder.  
“I brought you something,” he handed you something that was wrapped in a kitchen towel. It was cold and when you folded back the towel, it revealed a bag of frozen peas. You had to smile.

“Thank you.”  
“The internet told me that peas would work best because they can adapt to your face shape? Sounded reasonable enough,” Lin shrugged and you pressed the bag to your face’s right side. It helped immediately and you could see Lin smile out of the corner of your left eye when he took in your current state.  
“It’s not that bad,” you tried to assure him, ignoring your headache.  
“You can take another round of pills in an hour,” Lin took a look at his watch, “I should also try and get ready soonish. Show starts at 3 and I will have to get there at about half past one? When will Stephan and Diane leave?”

You thought back to the talks you had had with your brother, “I think he said something about their flight leaving at five. They wanted to get going between two and three, I told him he should focus on two rather than three, but it’s their thing.”  
Lin nodded as you explained how your afternoon would look like. He thought a bit more about it before weighing in, “I do agree with the two instead of three thing. New York traffic can be a bitch. So you’ll only have to endure your brother for half an hour without me.”

“I will manage but thank you once again. Although you said that we’re even now,” you gestured to your eye and both of you laughed.  
“Even without the black eye, I would not request anything in return. Apart from the karaoke night of course,” Lin grinned and you nodded.  
"I know, I know. It will happen,” you winced when the ice pack rubbed against your sensitive skin and felt Lin put his hand on yours.  
“Sorry. I have never given someone a black eye.”

“It’s ok. I will manage. It’s a bit worse than the one that Daveed gave me. Is that something you might be happy about?”  
“Oh, have you seen that guy? I do feel strangely proud of myself,” Lin laughed and you decided to withhold that your pain might come from you being tightly squished between Lin’s upper arm and forearm in the course of the brief moment in which he hit you.

“I really do have to get ready now, I’ll just take a quick shower and put on something else than… cartoon pants. Be back in a bit,” he got up and gave you a soft kiss on the top of your head. You smiled, it was nice that he cared so much about you. He definitely felt bad for giving you that black eye though. Once he left the living room you sighed, leaned back and let the frozen peas rest on your head.

You must have dozed off because you were woken up by a soft shake on your shoulder. You did not open your eyes, “Lin, I am trying to sleep off this black eye.”  
“I am not Lin,” your brother’s voice made you sit up straight. The sudden movement was too much for your eye, it began throbbing again.  
“Ouch…” you pressed the bag of peas against it and took in your brother. He actually looked concerned.

“Can I see that?” Stephan gestured to your eye and you reluctantly put the ice pack away. He reached out and turned your head to get a better view of your injury.  
“What exactly happened?”  
You quickly retold the story that Lin had told you in the morning and could see that your brother was struggling to suppress his laugh.  
“It’s not funny,” you protested.

“I am sorry. It kind of is. With every other boyfriend, I would hunt him down and ask him why he is beating my sister. But with Lin, he just seems like the kind of guy who accidentally knocks someone out.”  
“Don’t let him hear that. He likes to believe that he is a strong man,” you replied and both of you chuckled. You were relieved that he did not start yelling at you, after Lin’s outburst.

Stephan cleared his throat, “Well.. he is not a weak man, that’s for sure. I guess you heard what we talked about after… I have been unfair to you.” You looked at your brother, surprised at what he had just said.  
“Uh, yes. Diane and I both listened in on you. Sorry.”  
“It’s ok, I would have done the same. I did talk to Diane, she is currently getting ready. I am glad that she told me today, or rather, that I eavesdropped on your conversation. Coming back to what I said to you—“

You held up your hand, “It’s ok, I know that you did not mean it.”  
“You cannot know that. Not with all the things I have said to you over the past few… it’s been years, right? Listen, I am still not on board with what you did after school. I would have liked to see you follow the path that most of the people in our family chose, university, a good job, and so on. Still, I cannot change what happened. I am not thrilled, but I will try and work on my behavior towards you. I know that might not be enough, and you know how I am, I can be quite difficult. But, and I hope you believe me when I say this, I will be happy to have you on board as a great aunt once the child will be here.”

You were staring at your brother, genuinely gawking. Stephan shuddered, maybe he had been too nice and that was affecting his whole body? You smiled softly while thinking about that but quickly realized that he was nervously waiting for you to say something.

“Wow… I have not been expecting something like that. I… I would be honored to be the best aunt your child has ever seen! And I know that you are not thrilled with how I live my life, but thank you for trying to understand. Since we decided to be honest, I am not always thrilled with you but I guess that’s an open secret. I am glad that you came to talk to me and promise to also work on our relationship. Siblings don’t always have to get along, but we can try and work on it, right?”

Stephan nodded slowly, his dark hair ruffled from him running his hands through it. He stood up, awkwardly looking at you.  
“Do we hug now? I don’t know?”  
You laughed, that was typical for him. You also knew that it would be hard for him to change his behavior, but welcomed that he would try and work on it. That’s why you got up and quickly put your arms around your brother, it had been years since he gave you a proper hug. He returned the embrace slowly, getting used to the feeling, while you simply enjoyed every second of it.

“I did miss something important I guess,” Lin’s voice made you break the contact and when you looked to the living room doorway, you spotted him smiling at you. He walked up to you and put a hand on Stephan’s shoulder, “I guess my talk had some benefits? You can call me ‘Great Lin-Manuel’ from now on!”  
Stephan actually rolled his eyes, but you grinned, “Only once, ‘Great Lin-Manuel’ and that’s it.”  
“Let’s just say that I am happy that (Y/N) has found a great man in you, alright? I’ll get ready now," Stephan mumbled.

He left the room and Lin turned to you, a bewildered look on his face.  
“For a second I wanted to ask what he meant by great man. Then I remembered our plan!”  
“Giving us away during the last hours would have been so bad,” you agreed and stretched. You should probably put on something else than a pajama too if you wanted to get anything done this day.  
“So, what did he talk about?” Lin asked and you gathered the bag of peas to put them back into the freezer. He followed you to his kitchen and you quickly paraphrased your brother’s little speech. Lin seemed to be pleased by what had happened.

“As I said, I am the best. It will probably take some time to get along fine, but that’s a major improvement!” Lin had taken a seat and you finally got a good look at him. He had exchanged his cartoon pants for worn-out jeans and was also wearing a hoodie jacket, presumably with a plain shirt underneath. He had not washed his hair again, it was still gathered in a bun. You suddenly realized that tomorrow at this time, you would not be in this kitchen, talking to Lin, which made you a bit sad. He did not seem to notice.

“I have to get going in about an hour. What are you planning to do later?”  
“I will pack my things,” you quickly checked the hallway, no one was listening to you but you still closed the door, “and get home I guess. Still, have to check my work email and see what is waiting to be dealt with once I return to the bakery on Monday.”  
Lin looked at you, “It will be weird not having you around. It’s only been three days but I’ve grown used to you.”

“That sounds like I am a hamster you bought,” you chuckled.  
“A very nice hamster,” Lin countered, “But good plan. Be prepared to be bombarded by texts though. I will have to get used to not having someone around to share my thoughts with.”  
“Don’t you have Twitter for that?” - ‘“Don’t you want to talk to me?” - “Touché.”

You smiled at him, thinking about the very same thing. You had felt great during the weekend, even though it came with tense moments and would miss being around Lin. Your silent moment was disturbed by Diane who returned to the kitchen.  
“I am sorry if I am interrupting something but I was wondering if I could get a piece of toast? I am starving!”  
Lin immediately sprung into action and began preparing something to eat for your sister-in-law, while you decided that this was the perfect moment to get ready, nothing would come from thinking about how much you wanted to stay in the apartment.

When you came back, dressed in comfortable yoga pants and a large sweater, hair still wet in two small buns, Lin, Stephan and Diane were sitting around the kitchen table, laughing. When you walked into the kitchen they stopped.  
“Were you laughing about me?” You asked, feeling weird.  
“No, I have shared a few of my favorite stories from being in the theater business. Sit down. How’s your eye?”  
“It’s alright. I took another dose of pills, for now, I will live,” you joked. You told the truth, your headache had eased since you swallowed the paracetamol for which you were thankful.

“Speaking about the stage, I do have to get going,” Lin looked at his watch and you followed his gaze. He was right. It felt weird, for Stephan and Diane you were only saying goodbye for a few hours when in reality your whole masquerade would end after this. No one noticed your downcast mood.  
“Lin, once again, thank you for everything. I loved seeing Hamilton, staying with you and (Y/N) was wonderful and thank you for mediating between her and Stephan,” Diane was genuinely happy.  
“I liked having you here, so thank you for staying with us,” Lin responded and put an arm around you, right it was also your apartment. At least for Stephan and Diane.

“Maybe we can see each other again soon?” Diane asked and you nodded slightly.  
“We’ll see. Lin is quite busy with his job.”  
Getting along better with Stephan and Diane would result in coming up with a breakup story at some point you suddenly realized. Lin’s hand shortly brushed your shoulder, maybe he had had the same thought?

“Just call your sister and we’ll figure something out!” Lin finally said to end the discussion, he definitely had to leave now. Diane got up and hugged him while Stephan simply shook his hand, a heartfelt gesture from your brother. You followed Lin to the door of the apartment, aware that Diane and Stephan were watching you. Lin slipped into his coat put on his beanie hat and wrapped his headphones around his neck.  
“Text me when you get home, ok?” Lin’s voice had dropped to a whisper and you nodded.

“Have fun on stage. I’ll see you… I don’t know? Soon?”  
“Soon sounds like a date!”, Lin gave you his goofy smile and you simply had to return it. He then took a step towards you, “One last kiss for our audience.”  
Before you could begin to understand what he had said, Lin pressed his lips against yours. Instinctively, and maybe due to the fact that you had basically slept in his arms for the past two nights, you put your arms around him and deepened the kiss. You could feel him pause for a second but after that, his hands found your waist, holding you closer against him, while your lips continued moving against each other.

You needed to breathe and when you let go of Lin he cleared his throat awkwardly.  
“Well… uh. I’ll see you later,” he mumbled and directed a wobbly wave to your brother and Diane. Had you been too forward? Lin gave you a last smile and walked out the door, leaving you in the hallway. What had just happened?! You tried to shake off the weird feeling and turned back to Diane and Stephan who were already talking about something else.

It did not take your visitors long until they had to leave, too. You were glad for it, to be honest, you could not wait to be alone, not after that weird moment between you and Lin at the door. When their Uber arrived Diane hugged you for a long time.  
“I am so glad that we came to visit. Who would have thought that Stephan and you would end up getting along?” You could hear the happiness in her voice and smiled at her.  
“Ok, let’s just get going?” Stephan was still the same, always uncomfortable when people talked about feelings. You hugged him too.  
“Don’t be a stranger,” you told him and your brother nodded.  
“I’ll text you when we get home!” Stephan promised and you walked with them to the Uber, carrying Diane’s bag for her since Stephan struggled with their suitcase.

Returning to the now empty apartment felt strange, especially after sharing it with three people over the weekend. You already missed waking up here and smelling the coffee that Lin usually prepared. To make it a bit easier for him, you stripped both beds and put the bedding in the washer. He had another set in his cabinet, so you were able to prepare his bed for him. You also made sure that the kitchen was spotless but after finishing with cleaning you had nothing left to do but pack your stuff. Lin had texted you in the time you spent tidying up.

‘Did they leave?’  
‘Yep, about half an hour ago. I am packing my things right now.’  
You waited for his answer, ‘I’ll be able to check my phone again at around six. Let me know when you get home.’  
‘Will do. Thank you.’

You did not read his answer until you had to call an Uber, ready to get going. Your headaches had returned and you were looking forward to getting home, even though you were only really looking forward to sleeping right now. The weight of the weekend had suddenly lifted and you wanted to crawl into bed. Maybe the kiss with Lin added to that. The Uber would be there in ten minutes, so you checked if you had forgotten anything and finally put on your coat. You had made sure to wrap the daisies in some paper, you wanted them in your apartment. Thinking back to that sweet gesture made you smile and after closing the apartment door behind you, you made your way down the stairs.

The Uber ride took a bit longer, so you finally read Lin’s answer, ‘ No need to thank me. Loved having you over for the weekend. Maybe we should repeat that from time to time? Have to go on stage now, gotta make some people laugh, some people cry, you know the drill!’  
You smiled, he was definitely back to his texting shenanigans, and you decided to get back to him once you actually arrived.

The driver helped you carry your bags to your apartment and you thanked him profusely. It was cold in your home and you fired up the heater, looking around your small space. It was still cozy but you felt alone within your own four walls.  
“No need to be sad,” you told yourself and looked for a vase in which you could put the daisies. You found one and put them on your small kitchen table. You had also stolen one of the photos from Lin’s apartment, the piggy-back one, and put it on your fridge.

It was 4 pm by now and you felt extremely tired. Your headaches had returned and walking up the stairs to your apartment had worn you out. Maybe that weekend had been more draining than you had anticipated? You decided to sit down for a minute on your couch, before putting away your things and ultimately catching an early night. Work would start early on Monday and you needed sleep.

You fished your phone out of your pocket, which made you dizzy. Maybe you should actually lie down for only a bit. Your head still hurt, just like your eye, and you groaned. You could not take any medication for at least another hour. You opened the chat with Lin and quickly typed out ‘Home’ before hitting send. You really needed to sleep and before you could properly put your phone away, you felt it slide from your hands.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with a new chapter. Also, I am so happy that I have found great stories on AO3 to enjoy. You should check out HeyItsValeria13 and midnitetruce's stories! :)

What was going on? Your head felt fuzzy with your right eye throbbing uncomfortably. Something else was throbbing, you could almost hear it. After a few more seconds you realized that you could indeed hear something, a persistent knock on your door and someone calling your name.

“Coming…” you mumbled, getting up from the couch took every ounce of strength you had. Why did the room sway? And why was it so dark outside? It still felt like Sunday, if it was Monday and Cat was banging on your door you definitely had to tell her you were sick. You felt sick.

When you opened the door it wasn’t Cat that was looking at you. Instead of her two men were staring at you and it took you a moment until you recognized Lin and Daveed. Both looked nervous and Daveed actually let out a long breath once he saw you.   
“Thank god. You are alive!”  
“I am alive?” You echoed, feeling anything but.

Both men entered your apartment, clad in their winter coats and you walked with them into your living room/kitchen area. They had never been here you suddenly realized.  
“I am sorry if it’s not clean in here, oops!” While turning to them you lost balance and Daveed grabbed your arm to keep you from falling over.  
“Just sit down. I have to get going in a bit, but Lin,” he looked at the smaller man who was currently examining the room he was in, “You should probably stay. Keep an eye on her.”

You did not understand what they were talking about.  
“Why stay? What time is it anyway, I have to get up early tomorrow!”  
Lin sat down next to you, a concerned look on his face.  
“Have you checked your phone? We’ve been trying to reach you.”  
You shook your head and spotted said phone on the floor next to the couch. You picked it up and were greeted with numerous texts and calls that you had all missed. It was half-past seven, that would explain the darkness outside.

“You did not answer any of our texts and after telling me you were probably just angry with me because of something I said or did, Daveed tried texting you. When you did not answer any of his texts we tried calling and started worrying for real,” Lin explained and you smiled at him.  
“Why did you worry? I just fell asleep.”

“You have never slept through your ringtone (Y/N)!” Daveed interjected, "And after Lin told me the, to be honest, hilarious story with your eye I started thinking. Maybe he actually managed to hit you quite hard. Hard enough to not only hurt your eye, which sports a fantastic shade of blue by the way.”  
You snorted, the action sending a jolt of pain through your head.  
“That’s absurd. I just got a hit on my head. Look at Lin, he isn’t even that strong!” Ouch, that was mean.

“Nevertheless, I think someone should stay with you. At least for tonight. Since I have to get home, Lin is the man of the hour. And you are used to sharing a bed,” Daveed winked at you and you looked from him to Lin.  
“If it makes you feel better…” you did not want to argue, the headache had returned and you definitely needed some pain killers.  
You could see Lin nod to Daveed and they got up.  
“Make sure to keep an eye on her. I’ll call the bakery tomorrow, she should stay at home. Girl is acting weird.”

“I can hear you,” you mumbled and the men shrugged.  
“We know, but we don’t care. See you tomorrow (Y/N)!”  
Daveed hugged you quickly and left, he was probably late to spending the evening with his girlfriend. Lin was standing in your living room, looking lost. You stared at him, not realizing that you were doing so. He waved a hand in front of your eyes, which made you flinch. Maybe you were a bit out of it.

“Can you fetch me some paracetamol?” You asked and motioned to your kitchen area. He nodded and you gave him directions from the couch. When he returned with a glass of water and the pills you realized that he was still wearing his coat.  
“You can get undressed — I mean, get rid of the coat,” you laughed about your own lame joke and Lin shook his head.  
“Actually, I’d like to take a quick shower. I always have some clothes to relax in at the theater, I brought them, so…”  
“Shower’s that way!” You explained, clutching the glass of water.  
“It’ll only be a few minutes. I might have to borrow your shampoo.”

You giggled, “Sure, you’ll smell wonderful!”   
He watched you with raised eyebrows but vanished in your small bathroom. You quickly swallowed the pills and waited for them to work. Which was silly, but you craved some sort of relief. Suddenly you realized what was going on. Why had they come by? Because they were worried?!  
“It’s only a black eye,” you thought out loud, even though you were happy to see Lin again so soon. You giggled, it was definitely weird, but it was also great to know that he and Daveed cared so much about you. And you felt safer when he was around. You also remembered that you had been mean to him just a few minutes ago.

When Lin returned, dressed in gray sweatpants and presumably another Hamilton shirt, you immediately felt the urge to apologize to him.  
“I am sorry about what I said. You are strong.”  
To give him credit, he managed to keep it together for approximately five seconds until he burst out laughing.  
“No, you were right. I am definitely not strong. Have you seen these arms?” Lin waved them around and you smiled.

He then sat down next to you, wet hair up in a bun. Quite a high bun.  
“Are you channeling your inner ballerina?”  
“Are you feeling better?” He asked back and you both fell quiet.   
He broke the silence, “It’s getting too long. The hair. I need to cut it.”  
“I like it that way,” you admitted, wow being in pain really did you no favor.  
“And I like you sober, not in pain, and without a black eye,” Lin smiled at you and put a hand against the side of your eye.

“Ow…” you could hear the pitiful tone in your voice.  
“Daveed will call Cat tomorrow. You don’t look like you’re up to working. Maybe I did not hit you that hard, but in the right place? I don’t know. Are you still dizzy?”  
“Not right now, but I am sleepy.”  
“Then let’s get you into bed,” Lin suggested. You simply nodded, it sounded like the best idea anyone had had in years.

“Can you manage to put on your pajama?” He asked and you shrugged.  
“I’ll just take off my bra…” you trailed off as he continued looking at you. Then he realized what you were implying.  
“Oh, yeah, don’t mind me, I’ll fetch a glass of water.”  
He went back to the kitchen and you made quick work of your bra, relishing in the feeling of not wearing one.

When Lin returned you had already crawled into bed, not caring about which side he would like.  
“I can see that you are comfortable,” he commented and you stretched.  
“I am always comfortable in my bed. Now get in here, I wanna sleep,” you could hear the tiredness in your voice and after placing the glass of water on your nightstand, Lin followed your example and crawled under the covers.

“Who would have thought that we would end up in bed again after such a short time?”   
“You can still take the couch if you want?” You mumbled and heard him laugh behind you.  
“I did promise Daveed to keep an eye on you,” he sounded reasonable. You sighed, ready to fall asleep. The medicine, paired with the almost non-existing food you had had over the day (you remembered two slices of toast and the last of the cake while cleaning at Lin’s), made you feel weirdly sappy.

“I like sharing a bed with you…” you whispered and could hear Lin shift next to you.  
“Really?”  
“Mhm… feels comfortable.”  
“Apart from any black eye incidents,” he snickered and you joined sleepily.  
“Apart from that. But the time before that was alright,” you should definitely stop talking!  
“I feel the same,” Lin agreed, you almost missed it.  
“Maybe I’ll feel better when you hold me?” 

Your suggestion was met with silence and for a moment your fogged mind panicked. Had you gone too far?! Why could you not keep your mouth shut when you were tired, in pain, and obviously way too drugged?! But instead of answering you, Lin moved, opening his arms. You could see it in the light of one of the street lanterns that shone into your bedroom.  
“It’s worth a try, right?”, he agreed and none of you questioned the other. You were both acting as if you were doing this to make you feel better.

You happily obliged and put your head on his chest, a little bit like the time you had slept on his couch. Lin carefully wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you closer, making sure that you were comfortable.  
“Wake me if you need anything alright?”  
“Lin, it’s just a black eye. And probably tiredness and lack of sustenance,” you mumbled, feeling the fabric of his shirt rub against your cheek.  
“Nevertheless, let me know if something is wrong. Now sleep, you need it after this weekend.”  
You yawned, snuggling against Lin, the pain definitely made you bolder.

“You are one to talk Miranda. The bags under your eyes have bags.”  
“Yours too, but I am quite a bit older so it’s ok for me,” you could feel the rumble of his laughter in his chest and smiled too. He calmed down again, absentmindedly rubbing his hand against your back. It made you feel safe and you finally closed your eyes ready to sleep. Lin actually fell asleep before you, you were still able to sense the shift from his normal breathing to a more relaxed pattern before you eventually dropped off.

 

When you woke up the sun was shining, that was a plus. The space next to you was empty and for a second you did not know if you had just dreamt about Lin and Daveed’s visit last night. On the other hand, you were definitely not at work, so something must have happened. You rolled over to the side on which Lin had slept, burying your face in the cushion during that process. It smelled of him, so you knew that last night had not been a dream. Come to think of it, you could also hear him rummaging around in your kitchen.

Unsatisfied with staying in bed any longer you swung your legs over the edge of it, getting ready to get up. The movement made your head hurt and you remembered your predicament. Well, you could certainly take some painkillers in a little while. You rubbed your neck, it was aching slightly probably due to your elevated position while sleeping on Lin’s chest.

Getting out of bed actually took you a bit longer than you had anticipated but you finally made your way to your living space. Lin was busy looking for something in one of your kitchen cabinets and only turned around after you cleared your throat noisily.   
“Hey, you’re up!” He smiled at you and you shyly returned it. Why was it so weird that he was in your home?  
“What time is it?” You asked, taking a seat at your small table. Lin had already prepared some coffee and presented you with a plate of toast and some jam. He was back in the clothes he had arrived in yesterday, so he must have been awake for some time.

“It’s half-past eight and I just realized that you do not have a lot to eat in your kitchen.”  
“Well, I haven’t been here for almost five days, no need to buy things that start to get moldy. I don’t have that kind of money,” you commented and he nodded thoughtfully.  
“True. So…" Lin took the seat opposite you, “How did you sleep?”  
“Hm?”  
“Did you sleep well?”  
“Oh, yes, yes…” you mumbled, not realizing that he was looking at you with a concerned face.

You took a sip from the coffee but quickly put the cup down again, all observed by Lin.  
“Everything alright?” He asked and you nodded slowly.  
“Yeah, I just… I am not that hungry,” that was an understatement, you were hungry. But just looking at the toast in front of you made your stomach churn. Once again you were feeling sick and your headache did not help. Lin kept staring at you while you tried to at least swallow a piece of the toast in front of you. It was not a good idea and in a matter of seconds, you knew that it wanted to be outside of your body again.

“Sorry, I need to—“   
Vomit, you definitely needed to get to your bathroom and fast. Lin jumped to his feet and followed you. At this moment you did not care that he was about to witness you being sick, you were focused on not throwing up all over yourself, which you managed to a certain degree. In a matter of seconds, you hugged your toilet bowl, retching for dear life. There was not a lot in your stomach that you could get out and after some time you calmed down. The nausea did not vanish but you felt a bit more steady.  
Lin had taken position behind you and made sure that your hair was out of your face, which was actually quite sweet.  
“I am sorry. That was disgusting,” you mumbled, embarrassed.   
He pulled you back from the toilet and propped you up against your shower.  
“You need to see a doctor. That’s not normal, there is no reason why you should be sick, right?”  
“I am definitely not pregnant and have eaten hardly anything. Maybe you are right…” you mused, looking for something to rinse out your mouth with. Lin interpreted your look and quickly walked over to your bedroom to fetch the glass of water. 

When he returned you rinsed and took a few tentative sips that luckily did not upset your stomach.  
“I’ll call a cab and you can see my doctor. Or do you have one in New York? We could also go to the hospital,” Lin was rambling and you held up a hand to make him stop.  
“A normal doctor is probably enough. Thank you. I do need to get changed though, so give me a minute, alright?”   
Lin nodded slowly and helped you stand up, you felt dizzy.  
“Can you manage?” He asked, concern in his voice.  
“Sure. I’ll call for you if I feel sick again ok?”

After you made sure to let him know that you knew you could call for him for help, he walked back to the living room to arrange everything for your doctor’s appointment. You quickly brushed your teeth and put your hair into a ponytail. You looked sickly, pale and your black eye blossomed in numerous colors. A shower was definitely not something you were able to handle right now, so you washed your face over the sink and put on a fresh pair of jeans and a loose sweater.

When you returned to the living room, wobbly on your feet, Lin was already in his coat. He held yours in his hand and helped you into it.  
“You look a bit better,” he commented. You laughed drily.  
“That’s a lie and you know it.”  
He chuckled behind you which made you feel a bit better.  
“Let’s get going, someone definitely has to check your head.”

Instead of walking in front of you, Lin offered you his arm and you took it, feeling comforted by this simple gesture. He also carried your bag and when you went out of your apartment complex you already spotted the cab. In the New York traffic, it would take you some time until you would arrive at his doctor’s office, so you tried to get comfortable. Lin was watching you intently.

“Can I sleep on your shoulder?” You finally asked and he smiled.  
“Sure, after telling me yesterday that you like sleeping on me!”  
You could feel your cheeks grow hot but instead of teasing you further, he motioned to his shoulder and you leaned your head against him. It was easy to fall asleep again, you needed it and it also helped to pass the time. He woke you up by shaking you lightly once you arrived and helped your still sleepy form move out of the cab.

“Only a few more steps and then someone will take a look at you,” Lin promised, paid the cab driver and you walked into the building. The receptionist greeted Lin warmly but only took a short look at you to realize that you were not feeling too well.  
“I talked to the doctor, you can directly go into the first room on the left.”  
Apparently, it was good to have friends in high places, you did not even need to say it, Lin could see it in your slight grin.  
“I am glad that you are enjoying this,” he whispered to you, but you could see him smile too.

The doctor’s office was modern but felt homey at the same time. You took a seat at the exam table, waiting for the doctor to arrive. Lin spend the time walking around the office, nervously checking his phone. You suddenly realized that you had not looked at yours for once since you had woken up.  
"Did Daveed contact Cat?” You asked, concerned that your friend was thinking you were skipping work.  
“He did, she wishes you all the best and told him that if you are sick, you should stay home for the rest of the week.”  
“But they need me!” You whined, already feeling useless. 

“They don’t need you to throw up over everything alright?”  
Before you could respond to anything the door opened and an older man walked in. He seemed likable and shook yours and Lin’s hand, introducing himself as Dr. Baker.  
“So, why are you here? Apart from the black eye? What happened there?”  
He was quick to the point, which you liked, so you retold everything that had happened. Lin threw in some details from time to time and Dr. Baker listened to the both of you, taking notes.

“So since this is not some sort of domestic abuse,” he raised an eyebrow at Lin and you were quick to deny anything like that, so he went on, “I just need to check some things. Are you still feeling nauseous? (you nodded) Any headaches? (another nod) Dizziness, confusion, delayed response to questions?” Lin answered the last question with a clear, “Yes, yes, and yes!”

“I think I already got it, but let me check a few more things…” Dr. Baker looked at your eye, making sure to not hurt you further and performed a few other checks before he came to a conclusion.  
“It looks like you not only got an impressive black eye from Mr. Miranda but also a light concussion.”  
You groaned, “Come on? I don’t want to be mean, but how? It did not even hurt that much.”

“Doesn’t always have to do with hurting, also, your eye probably hurt enough without the headache, right? You likely did not even realize that your head was affected until later. Sometimes you do not realize things like this until some hours have passed,” the doctor explained and Lin shot you a look that pretty much said ‘I told you so’.  
You sighed, “So, what am I supposed to do now?”  
“Rest mostly. It’s not severe but I’d advise you to take the week off, don’t do any sports, look out for things that will strengthen your headaches, like watching TV and things like that. The black eye will heal over time, your eye seems to be alright. If you are in pain, take Tylenol, that’s the best. Also, someone should probably watch you for one to two days,” Dr. Baker shot a meaningful look at Lin who nodded.

“I’d like to see you again in a week, my receptionist will give you an appointment,” was the last thing the doctor told you. He was definitely efficient and after shaking your hand again and leaving the room you finally looked at Lin.  
“He is weird. Great, but weird,” you said and he laughed.  
“He is definitely weird. But also a great doctor. And didn’t I tell you that something was wrong? Didn’t Daveed tell you that something was wrong?”  
“I know, I know…” you felt tired again and Lin noticed. 

He walked up to you and took your hands in his, “Listen. I am very sorry that I seem to be the cause of this. I have something to propose to you.”  
“Your hand in marriage?” You joked, thanks to the pain.  
“That would be a very unromantic moment, wouldn’t it?” Lin chuckled but continued, “Since I am the cause for all of this, I will be the one to play nurse. If you are ok with that of course?”  
Was he joking? You were more than ok with that. You loved being around Lin.

After you nodded he seemed to relax a bit, “Additionally, I would like to invite you back home with me. I know my apartment. I know that you feel comfortable there. I can look after you better in my own home. And you can even have my bed.” Right, in his apartment you would not have to share a bed anymore. You felt a bit sad over this but the prospect of being back in his home made you smile.  
“I’d love to be your guest again,” you said and were rewarded with his typical crooked smile. Which definitely made your heart beat faster.

“Ok, let’s go! I already called an Uber and I can drop you off at my place. I’ll fetch some things from your place while you rest if that is alright with you?”  
It was sweet that Lin kept asking you if you were ok with what he was doing. To be honest, he could have waved a pain killer in front of your face and you would have performed Hamilton all by yourself in front of the original cast. You kept that thought to yourself.  
“Sounds great. I just need a bed, something more comfortable to wear and some Tylenol. If you can provide me with that I will be grateful for the rest of my life,” was your simple answer, which raised a smile from Lin.

 

The drive back to Lin’s place did thankfully not take too long. You were still feeling a bit sick, but he made you eat some crackers that he purchased at a corner store before the Uber picked you up. They stayed down and you were grateful for that.   
“So, now you only have to get up these stairs and after that, you can have your pills and catch up on some sleep. I’ll go back to your place and get some of your things and will stay with you, Monday is our free night after all. I won’t be able to take Tuesday off—“ you stopped him.

“That’s ok Lin. The people want to see you and you don’t have to worry so much about little old me. I will be fine. And I won’t take up your whole week. Thank you, really.”  
“You will stay here until you feel better. That’s not a threat, although it kinda is,” he retorted after unlocking his apartment door. It was amazing how you immediately felt at home again, you really liked the atmosphere in Lin’s home and how he behaved in his space. 

Lin put his keys on the kitchen table and looked for some Tylenol in a small cupboard, “I can give you something to wear if you want to take a nap after taking the pills? Or do you want to sleep in your jeans?”  
“Comfortable clothes sound good. I’d appreciate that.”  
“Alright,” he seemed a bit nervous, maybe you had not noticed it until now? You were pretty busy with your headache and trying to not walk into any walls, “I’ll put out something for you. You can take my bed as I said. I did notice that you put on fresh bedding, so thank you for that. Take the Tylenol and after that, I want to see you resting.”

You followed his order while he vanished in his bedroom and thought about what had happened. It was definitely weird to be back in Lin’s apartment, but you liked it. You were also surprised by they way in which he treated you, you had hoped that something had developed between you. Maybe something more than pure friendship and you were hoping that him caring so much for you meant something more? Anyhow, it was cute to see him fuss over you.  
When Lin returned he looked a bit calmer, “I put together an outfit for you. If you want you can keep the shirt and while you change, I’ll notify Daveed.”  
He winked at you (why did he do stuff like that?) and you walked over to his bedroom. He had put something on the bed, from the looks of it dark sweatpants and a black shirt. You took your time undressing, it still made the room spin. The pants almost fit you, after tightening them they at least stayed up. When you unfolded the shirt you smiled, it was the Hamilton shirt you had seen him wear during your first stay. After pulling it over your head you looked at yourself in the mirror. You definitely still looked like someone who needed a lot of sleep, but you felt a bit better.

“The shirt looks good on you,” Lin interrupted your thoughts, he was leaning in the doorway, arms crossed.  
“You were joking, right? When you said that I could keep it?” You asked, feeling a bit self-conscious in his clothes in front of him.  
“No, I meant that. I know you want one and we don’t have any at the moment. At least none of the original cast ones. As long as you don’t feel disgusted because I wore it many, many times?”  
Wasn’t that the best thing about it? You definitely should not say that.

“I love it,” your answer made him smile and you slowly walked over to the bed. Out of habit you once again chose the right side, which Lin noticed too.  
“You can have the whole bed, you know that?” He asked and you shrugged.  
“I like this side. And I don’t care. I wanna sleep now…” to be honest, you felt pretty tired again. Lin walked up to the bed and took a seat on the edge.  
“I’ll be gone for some time, getting some of your things, so if you feel sick or anything like that, you can call me. Do you have any wishes?”  
“Nothing in particular, just some comfy things. Maybe another pair of jeans and another sweater? I have faith in you,” you mumbled and could feel how he smoothed your hair back with his hand.

“Ok, I’ll see you in a bit,” Lin softly whispered, not wanting to disturb you any more.  
Suddenly you remembered something, “Lin?”  
“Hm?”  
“I wanted to apologize. For that weird kiss I initiated yesterday. I did not want to make you uncomfortable,” why were you still talking? Right… painkillers.   
Lin was silent for a moment and you were afraid that you had crossed an invisible line. He then leaned down to you, his mouth close to your ear.  
“I was not uncomfortable. Maybe a bit surprised. But don’t worry. I would say something if I felt uncomfortable. Now sleep, we’ll talk later,” you could feel him kiss your temple before you drifted off to sleep again. This day had definitely taken some turns.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating two days in a row?! I don't know what's going on, but I had this chapter ready for a few days. Now I am caught up again with what I had typed already, but I just couldn't wait to upload this. So... next chapter will probably be up at the weekend but until then, enjoy this and if you have any requests let me know. I might include some things... or write something new? Who knows?
> 
> Thanks for reading! x

Waking up in Lin's bed did not feel weird. What was weird was the fact that he was not sleeping next to you. You rolled over and stared at the door. It had gotten dark outside, but the door stood open and you could see light from the living room falling into the hallway. Some time must have passed if Lin had returned already and you looked at your phone, for the first time that day.

It was 7 pm and your phone was flooded with notifications. Cat had sent you a lengthy text wishing you a speedy recovery and assuring you that she would not look for someone new, but would wait until you felt better. You did immediately, one of your biggest fears was to disappoint her in any way. Daveed had also texted you a get well soon message, but added a cheeky ‘I heard that Lin is taking care of you? Maybe try and finally talk to him, I want to start planning that wedding!’ You shook your head, amused at his enthusiasm.

You also spotted a text from Diane and opened it. She had informed you that she and Stephan had returned home safely and asked to call you the next day. You quickly typed out a reply, telling her that you would not mind and she got back to you saying she would call you during her lunch break. After scrolling through Twitter for some minutes, liking a few posts up and down your timeline and ignoring the red beanie girl hashtag you finally got the motivation to roll out of bed.

Your stomach had begun to growl, you were hungry and thankfully the Tylenol was still clinging on although you would need to take another dose at some point. After stretching carefully, you spotted your overnight bag at the end of the bed. Lin must have put it there, so you turned on the light on your nightstand and padded over to the bag. You hoped that he had packed comfortable socks and started looking for them, not wanting to change out of the outfit he provided you with. You liked wearing his clothes, even if it made you sound like a serial killer.

While rummaging around in the clothes, he had indeed packed jeans and a presentable sweater as well as yoga pants and some more comfortable things, you suddenly realized that he also had to look through your underwear. In a flash you remembered every embarrassing pair of panties you owned, feeling your face grow hot. What was in the bag? So far you had only spotted plain black panties, comfortable and not too shabby looking and you quickly found another bra. Well, that was a ride, imagining him looking for underwear in your dresser. You tried to put that thought aside after finding a pair of socks and putting them on. No sense in thinking about stuff like that.

You could definitely hear the TV, so you followed the noise to the living room. When you opened the door it emitted a high squeaking sound and Lin looked to you so quickly that you feared for the health of his neck. He put a hand over his heart.  
“Oh my god, I was expecting to be murdered. I should not watch creepy shows after dark,” Lin muttered under his breath and you smiled.  
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

Indecisively you kept standing in the doorway until Lin motioned for you to join him.  
“Did you sleep well? I keep asking that question again and again,” he chuckled and you sat down next to him.  
“It was good. Actually better than last night.”  
“Must have been my extremely comfortable bed,” Lin laughed and you joined in until you were interrupted by your stomach.

“Sorry.”  
“No worries, what do you want to eat?” Lin asked, turning to you.  
“I don’t know. Something quick? Do you have cereal? I would be alright with that.”  
You really didn’t care, you were hungry and needed food. Lin nodded, apparently thinking about what he had lying around.  
“I might have cereal. Do you want to stay here and choose something to watch while I go check? I promise I’ll return with food.”  
“Sounds good,” you agreed and he left, leaving you in charge of Netflix.

When he returned with a bowl of cereal he burst into laughter, barely keeping control of the bowl.  
“I should have seen that coming, shouldn’t I?”  
“What?” You asked innocently, turning to him slowly, cautious of your head. He went around the couch and handed you the cereal bowl, sitting down again.  
“I am talking about the movie and you know it. Come on, how many times can one person watch that?”

He was referring to you putting on ‘You’ve Got Mail’ again. You raised an eyebrow at him, the one that did not cause your face to hurt and ate a bit of the cereal. It reminded you of childhood and for a moment you were glad to finally have something to eat in a place that felt strangely like home. Lin continued looking at you, so you had to say something.

“I am sick. Very sick,” you whined and he huffed.  
“You know you can only play that card because the doctor told me to be nice to you,” Lin sighed and you nodded slowly, eating a bit more. He grew silent and you noticed that he wasn’t really watching the movie with you.  
“Lin? Is everything alright?” you asked, putting the bowl down.  
He turned to you and you could see that he wanted to gloss over what was going on, but his resolve broke once he caught your look.

“I just keep thinking that I am the one that’s responsible for this whole ordeal. Your eye, the concussion…” he trailed off and you realized that you had not taken his side into account at all. To be fair, you had been in a considerable amount of pain.  
“Lin, that’s bullshit. Sorry. But if anyone is to blame it’s me for dragging you into this plot for deceiving my brother. That’s why we shared the bed. And I kicked you,” you managed to make him smile slightly.  
“If we are really honest, it’s Daveed’s fault, he came up with the plan,” you continued and grinned, still concerned. You did not want Lin to feel bad.

“All the same, I feel responsible. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” Lin asked, looking at you with his puppy dog eyes and numerous filthy requests started flooding your brain. He must have seen you turn red because he suddenly grew concerned again.  
“Is everything alright?” What were you supposed to answer? Well, I kind of keep having impure thoughts about you? No, that would be creepy, so you cleared your throat.  
“It’s ok. I just keep having headaches. If you want to make me happy, we could continue watching the movie? Please? You know I love it?”

He acted exasperated but you could see him smile, “If you really want to.”  
“Thanks! And thank you for the cereal. I didn’t realize that I was so hungry.”  
“Your growling stomach gave that away.”  
“True,” you turned your attention back to the TV, keeping the doctor’s suggestion in mind that it could probably heighten your discomfort. So far, nothing had happened and you chalked it up as a win. The bowl was empty after five minutes and you felt a bit more like yourself instead of sick, which was good too.

Lin did manage to watch the whole movie with you, without complaining even once, and you were grateful for it. When the end credits began to roll you stretched, looking at the clock. You were tired again, which was probably normal with a concussion. Lin yawned next to you, “I have to say, that movie is actually ok.”  
“Glad to hear you admit that. Maybe someone should write a musical based on it. I would watch that.”  
“If you don’t want them to rap, don’t even think about pitching that to me,” Lin laughed while thinking about the idea.

“I don’t know if I would want them to rap, to be honest. Maybe I will write something one day. With my non-existent music skills,” you snickered and Lin picked up the bowl, he was already standing again.  
“I cannot believe that you have no music skills at all. We still have that karaoke night planned, you won’t get out of that!” He helped you up and you needed a moment to find your balance. Sudden movements still made you dizzy but Lin knew that and kept your hand in his. After your vision cleared you gave him a nod and he, sadly, let go of you.

“Do you want to do something now, or do you need sleep?” Lin asked and you followed him to the kitchen. It was probably best to go back to sleep.  
“I think I should sleep. I am tired again and don’t know what else to do. If that is ok with you?”  
“Why shouldn’t I be ok with it?” Valid question.  
“Don’t know. I think my brain is just working in weird ways right now,” you said and he gave you an understanding look.  
“Go back to bed. I’ll get ready too and will bring you another Tylenol before you sleep, ok?”

It sounded good, so you followed his suggestion. After brushing your teeth and putting your hair into a loose bun you walked back into the bedroom, ready to sleep for another night. That head thing really knocked you out - you actually laughed out loud at the obvious joke you had just come up with.  
“What’s so funny?” Unbeknownst to you, Lin had caught up to you on your way back and you turned to him. He had changed into sweatpants and a band shirt, his hair loose.

“Just thought of something, it doesn’t matter. Are you going to bed now, too? You don’t have to follow my kid-like bedtimes because I am a bit challenged right now,” you said and he shook his head.  
“I should sleep a bit more, too. You did tell me that the bags under my eyes have bags,” he joked and now you shook your head.

“You know that I did not mean that,” you shrugged but could not help but add, “It’s the truth though. You should sleep more.”  
“Believe me, I try. I just have too many thoughts going around in my head and cannot really find any rest. Maybe I should try meditation or something like that,” Lin seemed used to his sleeping schedule but you could see how tired he was. After you crawled into bed, Lin handed you a glass of water and a Tylenol and like a good patient, you quickly swallowed the pill and thanked him for it.

“No need to thank me. You are the one who is in pain. So, do you need anything else? Otherwise, I’ll try to catch some sleep, too.”  
You shook your head, “I am alright. And I don’t want to keep you from sleeping.”  
“I appreciate the concern,” he smiled and put his hand against your forehead.  
“Are you checking if I have a fever?”  
“Well, would not surprise me if you did, but everything seems to be alright. You did seem a bit flushed while watching the movie, so I thought I’d check.”

You could not tell him that that had happened because of you thinking about him, so you simply accepted it.  
“I’ll be just down the hallway, I will hear you if you call so don’t hesitate if you need something ok? You do look a lot better than this morning,” he added and you smiled sleepily. The bed was just too comfortable and although you were disappointed that you did not share a bed with him that night, you were looking forward to sleeping.

“Good night,” you could hear yourself mumble and Lin squeezed your hand in response.  
“Sleep tight, I’ll wake you tomorrow. Or rather, just get up when you want to. I’ll provide you with breakfast,” Lin let go of your hand and you could hear him leave the room. Maybe having the whole bed to yourself was not that bad after all. It was bigger than your bed and you liked to stretch. Maybe it was due to your overall exhaustion and maybe it was due to you being comfortable, but sleep soon overcame you.

 

The smell of fresh coffee woke you up and when you opened your eyes you spotted a cup on the nightstand next to you. This was better than any hotel and you carefully propped yourself up onto your elbows. Your head did not hurt that much anymore, but you could still feel a throbbing behind your right eye. A post-it was attached to the cup and you tried to read Lin’s terrible handwriting. You succeeded after approximately one minute:  
‘Good morning to you, hope you slept well, I am working. Enjoy the coffee.’

You did enjoy it, propped up against the headboard, scrolling through Twitter. You could see that Lin was back to his tweeting glory, he had posted a short video of him playing something on his piano. You commented, ‘Nice tune, never heard that before.’ He answered after only two minutes, ‘Come to the living room and I’ll play it for you!’  
In an instant other replies flooded in, so you closed the app again and followed the music that was still coming from the living room.

When you entered Lin was indeed sitting in front of the piano, trying out new melodies, mixed with songs you already knew from Hamilton. He grinned at you when you entered.  
“Sleepyhead, you have risen from the dead!” He sang along to a tune and you clapped slowly.  
“Well done, well done. Yeah, I am awake and feeling better. At least I think so.”  
“Glad to hear it. And that’s great because I need to do the show tonight, but I guess you will manage without me for a few hours right?”  
“Sure. I couldn’t possibly keep you from that stage, no one has that power.”

“Some have,” he shot you a look and you quickly looked at your feet. What did he mean by that? Lin could probably sense your awkwardness because he closed the lid of the piano and took a step towards you.  
“Breakfast? Although it’s almost 1?”  
“I can always go for breakfast,” you agreed and together you went to the kitchen. 

Lin did not need much time to prepare a quick breakfast, you were presented with toast, a hard-boiled egg, and some bacon while he told you all about some new ideas he had for the Ham4Ham shows. You commented on a few and some of your ideas found their way into his notes. While you were eating he continued talking about plans and you enjoyed seeing him so excited. Lin’s face was always a surprise for you, most of the time he actually looked quite soft in his expression, which you liked, but he could transform into numerous different emotions in a matter of seconds. Currently, he was beaming, full of ideas, his eyes sparkling. You really did not know where his never-ending motivation stemmed from, but you enjoyed witnessing it.

“Wait a second. You should also take part in one of your Ham4Hams, the fans adore red beanie girl and I think we not only fooled your brother, but also the internet with our fake relationship.”  
“I will think about it,” you agreed, suddenly feeling a bit more somber. You really enjoyed the weekend in which you kind of dated Lin, but being reminded that it had been fake was something you still had to come to terms with. Lin didn’t notice the shift in your mood, but even though you tried to keep it in the back of your head, it stuck to you like some gum you stepped in.

You spent the next two hours talking about different things, Lin told you about his first job at McDonald's while you remembered working in a small supermarket in your home town. You both had customer horror stories and even though you still had to take another Tylenol to get rid of your headache, you definitely felt a lot better. Maybe being around Lin helped too, his relaxed nature made you feel at ease and you appreciated his effort in trying to make you feel at home. It did work.

Suddenly your phone buzzed and you remembered that Diane had wanted to call you.  
“I need to take this, it’s Diane,” you explained while Lin was busy carrying the plates you had used to his dishwasher.  
“You can take it in the bedroom if you want to. I’ll probably make some noise in here anyways.”

You followed his suggestion and took the call while walking to the bedroom.  
“Hello?”  
“(Y/N)? Am I interrupting something?”  
“No, everything is alright. I was just looking for a quiet space to take your call,” you replied, and let yourself fall onto the bed. After some consideration you moved back to the headboard, that was simply the most comfortable spot.  
“Sounds good. How are you, how is Lin?” Right, you were an item for her.  
“He’s good, a lot of work as usual. I am ok too (no need to tell her anything about your concussion), the eye is healing and I just try to not look like a criminal. How about you and Stephan?”

“We’re good. He is really excited about the baby, he bought two books yesterday to prepare himself for whatever could be thrown in his way. I like it, but it’s weird.”  
You could hear the smile in her voice and found yourself smiling, too.  
“I am so happy for you. When are you planning on telling the family?”  
She was silent for a few seconds and you sensed that she would get to what she was calling about.  
“I actually wanted to ask you something. You know that Thanksgiving is next week, right?”

You had definitely forgotten about Thanksgiving, last year you had spent that day alone, not wanting to visit your family.  
“Um… yeah sure,” she was about to ask you to come, wasn’t she?  
“I wanted to tell my mum and dad at the same time that Stephan could tell your parents. And since we decided to invite them and the relationship between Stephan and you is a bit better now, we thought that we should invite you, too. And Lin, of course, your parents will surely want to meet him!”  
Oh shit. You had to come up with something, but what? Think brain, think!

“Can I get back to you on that? I need to talk to Lin before accepting your invitation but thank you,” you definitely needed to find a solution for this. You could her Diane sigh on the other end of the line and quickly followed up with, “That doesn’t mean no. But Lin might be too busy to come.”  
“I understand, but I would love to have you both here. You are so great together. And he is good at making people comfortable.”  
She was right on that one. You promised her to call her back the next day and ended the call.

You should have expected something like that. Sure, getting along with Diane was amazing, but you also realized that you had to find an excuse for not bringing Lin. You couldn’t possibly ask him for another favor, especially after what he had just done for you. As if on cue, said man popped his head into the room.  
“How’s Diane?”  
You put on a smile, “She’s good.”  
He waited and took a few steps towards you. You could see that he had some water stains on his shirt, he must have washed the dishes by hand, his sleeves were still rolled up and he had put his hair back into his usual low bun.

“And?” Lin inquired, knowing that you kept something from him.  
“She asked if I would stay with them on Thanksgiving. They want to tell our parents and Diane’s family about the baby.”  
“That sounds wonderful, so I don’t really get the long face?” Lin had crawled onto his bed, looking at you with a question in his eyes. You sighed.  
“She asked me to bring you. You must have left a lasting impression on her. And I don’t know how to explain to her that we are not really together. I told her that you might be busy, but-“, he interrupted you, “Come on. Even I take Thanksgiving off.”  
“Well, can you not? At least so that I can pretend that you have to work?”

Lin was quiet for a minute, worrying you, but then he spoke up again.  
“I’ll go with you.”  
“Yeah sure, good one Miranda,” you scoffed, he surely was joking. Lin moved a bit closer to you, now sitting next to you so that he could take a proper look at you.  
“I am serious.”  
Was he trying to make you feel frustrated?

“And what are we supposed to do? Act out another charade? I feel bad enough for pulling you into this and if we continue doing that they will continue to see us as a couple and that will only complicate things. My parents made Stephan, you know that, right? Meeting them is not even easy for me and my brother, I don’t want you to go through the same thing. They can be excruciatingly curious and will pester you to no end. I don’t want to be the cause for that,” you took a deep breath and continued, maybe that was the Tylenol speaking again.

“I don’t want to keep lying to them. The idea was great when Daveed came up with it and I really, really appreciate that you went through with it. I enjoyed the time here, I enjoyed every minute, but I cannot do that anymore. You are so nice, you take care of me, even though you don’t even know me that well. I feel like I am exploiting you and I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to fool anyone anymore, it’s exhausting and I don’t want to act anymore.”

You were honest to him in this moment, you did not know if you were able to act out another pretend relationship for a few days, your feelings had grown too much for that and you would only be left with the hope for something that would probably never happen. You did the math, it would never work. He was the successful Broadway star, while you were a small baker, hoping to get by and not fall out with your family. It was frustrating.

Lin had listened to you, patiently waiting for you to stop and when you did he continued to examine your face. You felt like you were presented to him on a plate and maybe talking about all of this while literally being in his care had not been the best idea? Why wasn’t he saying anything? You slowly looked up at him, finding him staring at you with an unreadable expression on his face. Was he confused? Angry? Weirded out?

“Lin please, I just poured my heart out. To some degree at least,” you muttered and were surprised when he tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear that had come loose while you were obsessing over what to do. It took all the strength left in you to not lean into his touch, but you resisted. Lin looked down, obviously thinking about what to say. You waited with bated breath, afraid to say anything else, you would only spill more of your thoughts.

He finally cleared his throat, his voice sounded a bit more rough.  
“So… no acting anymore? Did I get that right?”  
Why was he giving you his puppy dog eyes again? You swallowed, what were you supposed to say to that?  
“Yeah… that’s it. I don’t want to make you act again. It’s not fair towards you and you should be able to focus on what you want, not on what I might need from you. That was quite selfish of me.”

Lin continued moving closer to you, there was no way for you to get away now, you were kind of stuck between him and the headboard. Your thoughts were darting around in your head, what was going on?  
“You know what I want? Apart from being better at rapping and coming up with lyrics that sound intelligent?” He actually managed to lighten the mood and you both grinned. Then he grew serious again and continued, “I still want to accompany you to that family dinner. I do agree on the acting part though. I don’t want to do that.”  
“Ok, so tell me how that would work? What lies should we come up with next?” You challenged him and he smiled.

“We could just try and not lie? I’ve always been bad at lying to be honest, at least to people that I like,” you were officially confused by him and it must have shown on your face. Lin groaned, “You’re killing me here, (Y/N)!”  
“What? Why?”, while you were still confused, Lin reached for your hand and interlaced his finger with yours.  
“Listen, I don’t want to lie about this anymore. I don’t want to hide anything.”  
"I don't understand. What are you trying to tell me? If we don’t continue lying about this whole thing anymore we have to tell them the truth. That we are not together and that this was all just something we came up with.”

“What if I want it to be real?”, his words barely registered in your brain, so you kept staring at him, not knowing if you were dreaming or if this was actually your life. Lin pulled you a bit closer to him, he had to be able to hear your rapidly beating heart by now, right? His eyes darted from yours to your lips and you simply waited for what was to come. This surely had to be one of your better dreams. His hands came up to your face and he cupped it delicately between them, making sure to not touch the sensitive areas around your right eye. When he leaned in and softly pressed his lips to yours you realized that this was not a dream. This was really happening.

The kiss was sweet but deepened slightly when you remembered that this was not a one-way street. You slowly started to respond to what he was doing, parting your lips slightly and smiling into the kiss. His hands let your face go as he continued kissing you with a little more pressure, but you could feel him smirk. Lin tasted like the coffee he had prepared numerous time for you by now and it made you feel at home. This was supposed to happen, so why not let it happen? You could feel the fingers of his left hand drawing lazy circles on your thigh, then he reluctantly pulled away. You kept your eyes closed for a few more seconds, relishing in the feeling and scared that you would suddenly wake up and be back in your old life.

When you finally opened them you did not stare at the ceiling of your own bedroom, but into Lin’s eyes. He regarded you with an expression that you had never seen on his face, a mixture of adoration and awe.  
“So… about keeping things real…" you started and he smiled.  
"Might have been a bit too forward there.”  
“I’d like that too,” you admitted. Daveed would definitely lose it!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit slow, but I needed to write something like this! We'll be back soon with a date and, eventually, Thanksgiving festivities :)
> 
> Thank you all so much for your kind comment regarding the last chapter. I enjoyed reading them and am glad that you liked it so much!

“Wait… you’d like that too? Are you telling me that my approach has been successful?!” Lin grinned widely and you laughed. It was amazing to see him so exited about this, something you would have never thought would happen. You took his hand in yours once more.  
“I’d say so. If you really meant it,” you were still hesitant, this was going too well, wasn’t it? Lin squeezed your hand in his, “You might not know this about me, but I usually don’t walk around kissing random people. If you knew the amount of courage that just took, you would believe me.”

You could feel a smile form on your face, your cheeks would definitely hurt tomorrow. Lin apparently interpreted this as a positive sign, because he leaned in again and gave you another kiss. This one was a lot briefer but you still enjoyed it.  
“I could get used to this,” Lin said, echoing your thoughts, leaning his forehead against yours. You nodded slowly, then snorted with laughter.  
“What’s going on? Are you laughing at me?!” Lin acted scandalized.

“No, I am just so, so relieved. I just thought that you were a really good actor, but knowing that there has been more to this whole thing gives me a new perspective.”  
“Hey, I am still a brilliant actor.”  
“Sure Lin,” you replied and he grinned.  
“Now that we’re talking about me being obviously happy about all of this, why didn’t you say anything sooner? I assume that you did not just wake up today and thought ‘I am gonna get me that handsome man’!” His wink at you made you giggle.

“Oh, it was definitely that time you gave me a concussion and a black eye!” Lin scowled at you so you quickly continued, “No. To be honest, and since I seem to be embarrassing myself around you all the time, I was immediately interested in you. At the beginning I might have been fangirling a bit, still am, to be honest, but when you agreed to do this charade with me I started to really… I don’t know. Like you?”  
“And you are obsessed with my hair. See, I remembered that!” Lin raised an eyebrow at you and you could feel your cheeks grow hot. Why did embarrassing things keep happening to you?

“Maybe a bit.”  
“I am actually thinking about cutting it at some point. Maybe I can get used to wigs for the rest of my time on stage?”  
“What?!” He laughed about your shocked face.  
“Just joking. I might like it a bit more, now that I know that you like it so much.”  
“It’s just so weird to me. How can it be that men have amazing hair? I would love to have your hair!”

“I do like your hair, too. Among other things,” Lin tried to stay a bit more serious and you smiled shyly at him. Any kind of compliment from him made you feel strange but now you were able to freely show that.  
“Really?”  
“Yes! I’ll tell you all about them, but I would not want to give away everything just yet. Maybe I can write a little song about it.”  
And back to the creative genius. You beamed at him. After being convinced that you would never get that far, this felt amazing.

“We do have to tell Daveed at some point. He keeps telling me that he wants to start planning our wedding.”  
“Our wedding? When did he start mentioning that?” Lin looked at you curiously.  
“Might have been the fist day I met you. After I told him that I think your hair is shiny,” you were confident that by now, your whole head looked like a tomato.  
Lin burst out in laughter, “I am sorry. That hair thing cracks me up!”

“I know, I know… So, will you tell Daveed?” You asked and Lin, after recovering from his laughing fit, thought about it.  
“Maybe we should let him figure that one out on his own?”  
“With your Twitter addiction, he will find out by tomorrow. At the latest,” you commented dryly and Lin cocked his head.  
“Twitter is a good idea. I’ll stay silent for now, but I cannot guarantee anything. Red Beanie Girl,” Lin winked at you and helped you get off the bed.

Once you felt the wooden floor underneath your feet again, Lin pulled you close to him.  
“Now I can do this whenever I want,” he declared and pressed a careful kiss to your temple, not far from your black eye. You closed your eyes for that short moment, it felt amazing to know that you could freely talk about what was going on from now an. Well, maybe not everything, but most of the things that went through your head.

“Only until you have to go to work because I will stay here. And sleep.”  
“I’d rather stay here too. But you’re right. Duty calls. And I actually do have to get going soonish,” Lin checked his phone and you suddenly remembered that you would have to call Diane back.

“So, I guess Thanksgiving is a date?” You asked and Lin nodded, suddenly looking excited.  
“I just had an idea. I guess we can be honest and say that this thing between us developed in a pretty unconventional way, right?”  
You nodded slowly, not knowing what he was hinting at. He was confusing.  
“Sooo… Why don’t I take you out on a real date on Friday, before the show? You will have to get used to my weird schedule. And weird personality overall.”  
“I think I can manage that. And a date sounds lovely,” you admitted, suddenly feeling shy again. 

Lin immediately picked up on that, “Don’t be so bashful.”  
“How can I not be bashful when you use words like that? I am just not fully realizing that this is happening. About twenty minutes ago, I still believed that this would never happen.”  
“Good that I had other plans then!” Lin let go of you and took a step back.  
“As if you had planned this all along,” you challenged him.

“I did not plan it like this. But, I was thinking about making a move soon. A super smooth one, of course, you know me,” Lin assumed a proud pose and you laughed.  
“Sure, I’ll just try to believe that.”  
“As long as you keep being nice to me, everything’s alright.”  
Lin took your hand in his and pulled you after himself to the kitchen.

“Do you want to eat anything before I leave you for the night?”  
“Are you offering to cook?” Your question was met with a desperate look.  
“You do realize that I can do things, right? Apart from being incredibly charming,” Lin grinned and you just let his comment slide. He was definitely a handful, especially now that he felt a lot more comfortable around you.  
“How can I say no to food?”  
“You should never say no to that. I have to admit, I can only cook pasta with sauce right now. I definitely need to do some grocery shopping.”

You were okay with what he suggested for lunch, or rather early dinner, and while Lin was cooking up a made-up sauce you talked about what Thanksgiving at your family’s included.  
“Well, like I said. I haven’t really spend a lot of holidays with them in the past few years. With knowing that Stephan and I might get along a bit better now it might be a more… joyful occasion. Especially with the baby on its way. But my parents are a force to be reckoned with.”  
“So I should be on my best behavior? No baggy jeans?”

You nodded thoughtfully, “Probably the best. But I think they will be ok with you since you have this grand career. I hope so. Otherwise, it would be a real disappointment to not only learn more about my baking career but also being presented with an artistic boyfriend.”  
“So I am your boyfriend now?” You did not even need to see Lin, you could hear the grin in his voice.  
“Uh… I just thought that was clear. Sorry.”

Lin turned around, the spoon for the sauce still in his hand.  
“I don’t mind. Hey, I got myself a girlfriend. Who’d have thought?”  
“Really? Have you checked the internet? Girls are throwing themselves at your feet.”  
“They have also never heard me snore,” he added and you snorted.  
“That’s not the point. Let’s just say, I am not the only one that likes your hair. And there are people out there that think about other parts of you, too.”

“How deep did you go on your research?” Lin laughed and you felt your ears grow hot again.  
“Not that deep.”  
“Find anything interesting?”  
You suddenly remembered the video that Daveed had sent you. You probably should not talk about that.  
“No,” was your short answer and you could see that he didn’t believe you. He let it slide though, for which you were thankful.

“Food is ready, are you feeling up to it? How’s your head? Do you need another Tylenol?” Lin was back to being concerned and you looked at the plate in front of you. It smelled delicious and you suddenly realized how hungry you were.  
“I am good with food I think. I did only throw up yesterday because of the concussion. My head feels ok, but I might take you up on that Tylenol. The eye still hurts.”

“To be honest, that eye thing is an amazing story that we can tell for years to come.”  
“I’m glad that you see the positive side in this,” you muttered, mouth full with pasta.  
“I not only see the positive side but also the amazing colors in which the bruise presents itself. That’s quite interesting.”  
You rolled your eyes and continued eating while Lin told you about an interview he had to do on the weekend. It was for a documentary about Hamilton, which suddenly made you remember that you were now officially dating a celebrity. To some degree at least.

“Ok… I do have to get going now but I am looking forward to returning tonight!” Lin gave you a smile and you returned it.  
“I’ll be… here. Can I use your computer to check my mails? I know, I am not supposed to work but I want to know what’s going on!”  
“Sure, just don’t be shocked by the clutter on my desktop. Password is hamilton, lowercase h.”  
“Really? That’s the best you could come up with?”  
“Listen, I come up with so many things, passwords are not my strength.”

You did not say more about it but silently laughed about the password thing. Sometimes he acted like a five-year-old. Lin put the dishes in the dishwasher, for real this time, and was once more looking for something. It must have been his scarf again which you knew was inside the sleeve of his coat. You still let him search for some time until he returned, looking around frantically.

“It’s in your sleeve,” you mentioned casually and he left the kitchen.  
“Why didn’t you say so before?!” Lin yelled from the hallway and you smiled.  
“Because it’s a lot more fun for me this way.”  
“That’s not nice,” Lin commented and returned, now wearing his headphones around his neck and clad in his coat and scarf.  
“You know what’s not nice? My eye. My headache.”  
“Oh really, I rarely hear you mention it.”  
“Careful,” you advised him, “Or I will never bake anything for you again.”

Lin remained quiet and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.  
“I’ll get going now. See you after the show,” it was a bit weird since you had done this whole spiel before with Stephan and Diane watching, but he walked up to you and gave you a quick kiss. With his other hand, the one that wasn’t carrying his water bottle, he gave your cheek a pinch.  
“What was that for?”  
“Dunno, just wanted to do it. Goodbye!”

After you heard the door shut behind Lin, you got up and walked over to the living room, time to check your mails. And freak out for about five minutes because he had told you that he wanted you to be together. And you had decided to let Daveed figure it out on his own. Maybe focusing on some work would help you. Your friend would have to figure it out soon, otherwise you would burst with that secret.

Lin’s password was indeed ‘hamilton’ and you let out a shocked squeal when you looked at his desktop. It really was cluttered, extremely cluttered. You didn’t want to pry but you at least allowed yourself to look at some of the files and their names. You found a lot of ‘draft 1,2,3,4,5’s, one file basically had the whole Hamilton score and you also spotted some new projects. After quenching your thirst for new information, you opened the browser and quickly looked up your emails.

Cat had forwarded you some of the things that would await you after coming back to work. A wedding with a bride that seemed to be a lot more relaxed than your last bridezilla. She had requested a plain white cake, adorned with edible flowers. You already had an idea for the cake and moved on to other mails. A cookie order would be a lot of work and you could also see that you would have to put some elbow grease into a cupcake order for a private birthday event. 

Among the many mails were also some Twitter notifications. Since Daveed had established the #redbeaniegirl hashtag you had gained a whole lot of followers and your interaction with Lin had additionally caused some stir. A lot of people were already suspecting that you were dating, while some expressed their sorrow over the situation. Well, you should have expected something like that, although most people were extremely nice. The fandom around Hamilton was mostly supportive and you really liked this about it.

After sending a quick email to Cat, telling her what you were planning regarding the commissions, you closed the laptop again and thought about what to do now. You definitely wanted to wait until Lin returned home and since you did not have any of your things with you, Netflix would have to do for now. Before choosing something to watch you walked back to the kitchen and spotted a pill next to a glass of water, right, your daily dose of Tylenol. 

Your headache wasn’t as strong anymore, you still took the pill, but maybe tomorrow you could stop. You also made some tea, deciding to relax as much as possible. Being sick at least gave you some time to wind down. Sure, your job was not as demanding as Lin’s but you were still feeling stressed, maybe because you still had to prove yourself in the industry while Lin had managed that by now and was well-known and respected. You pushed that thought aside and walked back to the living room, ready for another romcom.

You accomplished to watch two movies and two episodes of Sex and the City before Lin returned. It had gotten late and you could hear that he was tired from the way he moved through the hallway, dragging his feet. After another minute he walked into the living room, wearing sweatpants that he had not worn before, his hair loose and slicked back in his Hamilton style.

“Hey there,” he greeted you and let himself fall onto his couch, immediately closing his eyes.  
“Hey, tired?” You asked, pushing his hair back and examining his face. He looked weary, dark circles under his eyes. He did not give you an answer and you realized that he had already fallen asleep.  
“Lin? Hello? Wake up. You need to get into bed,” you carefully woke him up and he rubbed his eyes, smearing some of his stage make up.

“I wanna sleep.”  
“I know, but you do have to wash your face. And maybe your hair. But you can shower tomorrow I guess?”  
Lin chuckled lowly and gathered himself up, “I’ll take that shower. A very quick one.”  
He was true to his word, even though he seemed to be falling asleep on his feet, after two minutes you could hear the shower. He had left his shoes in the living room, so you picked them up and put them where they belonged. Already behaving like a little old housewife, you thought and made sure that the light in the living room was turned off. 

You had gotten ready for bed before Lin returned and had changed into your own pair of leggings while still sporting the shirt he had given to you. You liked that it was yours now and already thought about stealing some other stuff from him. Since Lin was mostly wearing comfortable clothes, in particular, baggy jeans and shirts with a hoodie jacket, you would probably find a lot that you could wear to relax. 

To be honest, you had never thought that you could fall for someone who dressed like a high schooler, but there you were. Probably shouldn’t mention the falling part to him, would be a bit creepy at this point in time. Were you acting like a teenager? You felt like you were acting like one, so you tried to calm down. Didn’t really work, but you tried. 

Lin joined you in the bedroom after another ten minutes, you had heard the hairdryer, but his hair was still slightly damp. He noticed your look and without another word let himself fall onto the bed.  
“Why am I so tired? And don’t say because I am old!” Lin’s voice was muffled by the blanket and you pulled it out from under him.  
“Work probably,” was your comment and you could hear him chuckle.  
“At least I get to sleep in my own bed.”

You only now noticed that he was back in his cartoon pants. Great, but you probably shouldn’t start a fight with your boyfriend of approximately six hours over a silly pair of pants that made you slightly uncomfortable. You draped the blanket over him and walked over to your side, trying to get comfortable. Lin managed to prop himself up a bit looking at you with a tired smile.

“Hey.”  
“You already said that,” you replied but returned the smile.  
“Just wanted to repeat it.”  
“Hey,” you whispered in return and his smile turned into a yawn.  
“I should sleep. It’s a wonder that I am still talking,” Lin let himself fall back onto his back and you chuckled.  
“I think it’s a wonder that you are quiet from time to time.”

“That’s mean, but I will allow it,” Lin was sounding pretty tired too, so you switched off the light next to you. You were a bit undecided about what to do next, you could probably just snuggle up to him but for some reason, you still felt as if it was a risky situation. Lin luckily took initiative and his one hand pulled you towards him.

“Let’s get a bit more comfortable,” he murmured into your hair as soon as your head was lying on his chest. You hummed in agreement, listening to his steady heartbeat. Falling asleep really did not take anyone of you long and in a matter of seconds you both went out like a light.

 

The next morning you were once again alone. Had you dreamt yesterday? No, you still felt Lin’s warmth next to you, preserved by the bed. He could not have been up for long. You stretched, cautious of your head, which luckily did not really hurt a lot. Things were looking better and you weren’t just thinking about your budding relationship with Lin.

Since you did not want to get up immediately, you grabbed your phone and were perplexed to see that it was blowing up with notifications. You had also received about ten texts from Daveed. The rest of the notifications came from Twitter, but you checked your friend’s messages first. They were a bit scattered:

‘Girl’ - ‘Hello?!’ - ‘Ok, I am not angry, but why didn’t you tell me?’ - ‘HELLO’ - ‘Am I nothing to you?!’ - ‘I get it, you’re probably still sleeping.’ - ‘Wake UP!’ - ’I knew that you had some kind of secret, you were acting shady.’ - ‘I am happy for you, but you will have to tell me everything later. I don’t want to get all my info from Twitter.’

The last one simply read ‘See you later. You can bet on it! And text me back!!!!!’  
You were confused, Twitter? Oh no. Realization dawned on you and you checked your Twitter notifications. Most of them were mentions but one stood out. Lin had mentioned you. You tapped on the alert and waited for Twitter to load.

He had been awake for only 40 minutes but had already managed to tweet three times. One of the tweets was a good morning to his followers, which you liked. After that he was complaining about the sun shining into his face. The last tweet had a photo attached to it. He had taken a picture of you sleeping, luckily your black eye was covered by the pillow and you actually looked quite decent. For a picture that showed you asleep.

The picture went along with ‘At least I got to wake up next to this ray of sunshine. Still sleeping, pshhht.’ He also had the audacity to add a #happy hashtag. Of course, most people were confused by this, some questioning if you were dating. One of the replies was by Daveed, saying ‘We’ll have a talk about this later!’, another came from Renée who had simply posted a few hearts.

You should have expected something like this, so you carefully checked your own timeline. Well, you had gained a lot of followers who were probably expecting quality content from you now. Great. You could hear Lin walk down the hallway outside the bedroom. Time to show him what he had caused. You should have expected it, but introducing you as his girlfriend with a picture of your sleeping? That was a bold move. You cleared you throat.  
“Miranda!”  
The footsteps stopped and you could hear a quiet, “Yeah?”  
Oh, he knew that he had started something!


	21. Chapter 21

The door creaked open when Lin followed your voice. He looked cautious, and he was right in doing so.  
“You called? Everything alright with your head?”  
Was he trying to change the subject even before you mentioned it? Maybe. You raised an eyebrow and he came closer, sitting down on the bed.

“Lin… we need to talk,” you started, trying to look serious and he immediately began fidgeting.  
“Nothing good came from that sentence ever. You’re not breaking up with me right? I could not handle that. Let me hang around for at least a week!” His pleading was hilarious and you allowed yourself to crack a smile.

“I would never break up with you. You would have to do that to get rid of me, otherwise, I’ll stay here. Well, maybe not here but around!”  
You could see him breathe again.  
“Ok, so… why did I have the impression that you were calling me to send me to the block?”

“I am not angry. So… why did you take a picture of me and post it to Twitter?”  
“Am I supposed to not take pictures?”  
“You can take pictures, but look at me! I am sleeping, I look like a… I don’t know. Look at my hair, it’s horrendous!”  
You showed him the picture again and he gave you a wary look.

“I don’t know what you see in that picture, but I literally posted it because I thought it was beautiful,” he commented and you could see that he was quite pleased with himself for that answer. You sighed, didn’t help that you could feel yourself turning red.

“That’s not the point. I am willing to accept your marriage to Twitter and you can definitely post pictures of me, as long as no fans start hunting me down, but… if you post one more picture of me sleeping you will face consequences!” You wagged your finger at him.

“Let’s make a deal, if you take a picture of me that’s embarrassing, you are free to post it alright? And I am allowed to keep that picture up that I posted,” Lin suggested and you thought about it for a while. You were definitely open to post something embarrassing of Lin.

“Deal,” you agreed and Lin offered you his hand. You shook it but instead of letting go of you, Lin pulled you up and almost out of bed.  
“Whoops! Sorry,” he laughed and helped you find your footing again.  
“It’s okay. Since I am up now, can I have coffee? Please!”  
“Sure,” Lin helped you locate your fuzzy socks and after putting them on, you followed him to the kitchen.

“I do like that shirt on you. Although... it fits you really well. Does that mean that I have a feminine figure, or…”  
“Don’t even think about finishing that sentence Lin-Manuel Miranda, you are already on thin ice!” You warned him, even though he was right. It did fit well but Lin wasn’t a broad or particularly tall man. He shrugged, probably in response to you using his whole name, and began to prepare coffee fo which you were thankful. Suddenly you remembered Daveed’s texts.

“By the way, I got bombarded with messages from Daveed,” you mentioned and Lin turned to you.  
“Me too. Did he also accuse you of acting shady?”  
You laughed and nodded, so Daveed had basically sent both of you the same messages.  
“I’ll text him back but he wants to talk to me. Maybe I can come to the theater today, too.”

Lin immediately went back to his dutiful nurse role.  
“I don’t know. Do you feel up to it?”  
“Lin… I have spent two days in quarantine, I need air. I need people. Although, you are quite enough to be honest.”  
“Oh, that is so nice!”  
“Is it though?” You questioned and despite trying to act angry, you could see a smile forming on Lin’s face.

“Anyway, I’ll be a good patient and be very calm and careful about what I do. Will you take me?”  
You could almost hear him think and it took him a bit to answer you. He was clearly still feeling responsible for what had happened but he could not force you to stay inside.  
“Since I assume that you would follow me I’ll just say yes. We do have a matinee today, so you can come to that and if you feel up to it you can stay until the second show is over. If not, you can always come back home. Uh, here I mean.”

It was cute that he considered his home to be yours too, albeit maybe a bit to hasty. On the other hand, you did feel at home around him and in his apartment. You decided to let the comment slide and agreed with his terms. This also resulted in a text to Daveed, simply telling him that you would stop by and he would be able to pester you then.

Eventually, Lin presented you with a coffee mug, “Here’s your coffee. Do you want to eat something at the theater later? It’s already 11 and we will have to leave soonish. And you still need to get ready.”  
“Sounds good,” you agreed and took a sip from your mug. He continued looking at you and when you returned his questioning gaze he sighed.  
“Just to make sure, how are you? How’s the eye, how’s the head?”

You put down the coffee, “Head feels ok, still hurts a bit but I can manage. The eye continues to throb, it’s still sore and I don’t want to touch it. I will try to cover it up a bit though.”  
“I’ll trust you on that one. If things take a turn for the worse you can always tell someone at the theater and they will let me know.”

“I’d rather suffer backstage before compromising the play. Don’t fret, I’ll be alright,” you quickly added when he stared at you in shock. Before he could object anything you decided to change the topic, no need to argue about silly things.  
“So… have you already started planning our first date?”  
It worked. Lin did look taken aback and you silently congratulated yourself for pulling this off.

“I… definitely have something planned. Yes, sure. Will be great!”  
His stammering showed that he had definitely not planned anything yet and you snickered. He joined you nervously and for the first time, you witnessed him being the one that blushed. Which was cute, you could not deny that.  
“I am looking forward to it,” you simply said and looked at your phone. It was definitely time to get ready, so you quickly drank your coffee and got up.

“I’ll get ready. I promise to dress in comfy clothes so that I can take a nap on your couch during the show. Deal?”  
“A lot of deals are happening today,” Lin commented and you grinned. He wasn’t wrong.  
“Let’s try to stick to them!” you said and left the room.

Showering felt great, especially since you did not have one for two whole days. You almost expected Lin to be standing outside the door once you left the bathroom again, checking if you were still alive. He wasn’t and you met him in the bedroom, now you were the one that was clad in only a big fluffy towel. Upon seeing him you grabbed the towel in a secure clutch, you were dating but you were not prepared to suddenly strip naked in front of him. Did sound inviting though.

“I remember being in a similar situation to this not too long ago,” Lin grinned at you and you rolled your eyes which immediately made you remember to not do that for the next week.  
“I remember too,” you mumbled, looking for your bag. It was still positioned at the end of the bed. Hopefully, he had packed at least some decent clothes.

While you were busy pulling out a pair of jeans and a plain dark blue turtleneck Lin’s gaze kept lingering on you. You could feel it at the back of your neck and when you turned around he quickly busied himself with a stack of papers on his work desk.  
“Were you watching me?” It was funny, even if you felt slightly uncomfortable. Not because you did not want him to look at you, more because you had not expected it at that moment.

You got up again and Lin was still arranging his papers.  
“Lin?” - “Hm?”  
He turned to you and you smiled.  
“I was asking about you watching me?”  
“I might have peeked? What am I supposed to do? You already got an almost full impression of this fine specimen,” he gestured to himself and you both laughed.

“That’s right. And at the time I was a bit more perplexed than you are now. Should I be disappointed?”  
“I am just used to keep talking when I don’t know what to say, so….” Lin trailed off and you smiled.  
“Sure, I’ll get ready now. See you in a bit.”

Back in the bathroom, you put on your clothes and began to cover up your black eye. It would still be noticeable but not as much as before. At least you did not look like someone had hit you anymore and that was better than your look for the past few days. After drying your hair you put it into a messy bun and finished your routine with a few spritzers of perfume. 

You could already hear Lin in the hallway, he was eager to get going so you were not surprised to see him putting on his shoes when you joined him.  
“Are we late?”  
“No, but I like I said I do have to talk about some of the interview stuff and I’d like to be early. I am not often early but I try,” Lin explained and you followed his example and got ready. This time he remembered where he put his scarf and after you put on your signature red beanie you were both ready.

Lin gave you one last concerned look, “Are you really alright? Daveed would understand if you have to stay home since you are poorly.”  
“Lin, I feel fine. And as you said, if anything gets worse I will let you know. I am well looked after with you by my side.”  
You could see that he was charmed by what you just said and to drive your statement home, even more, you took his hand in yours and squeezed it lightly, “Let’s go!”

In light of your ‘illness’, as Lin liked to call it, you once again took a cab to the theater.  
“Next time we can take the subway Lin, I am not some delicate porcelain doll,” you stated, thankful for not being trapped in a train but you felt bad that Lin was spending money on you in this way.  
“We’ll get back to the subway when you are fully recovered,” was his short answer and you sighed. That was a topic for another day, you did not want to have the money talk right now.

The cab dropped you off in front of the theater where you could already spot a few fans. There were about ten people waiting and Lin and you approached them slowly, walking fast was still not a great idea with your head. The cold November air made it even more strenuous and you quickly let him know that you would go inside while he was taking pictures and talking with the fans. Some of them immediately spotted you, thanks to the beanie, but no one stopped you as you made your way into the theater.

The way to Lin’s dressing room was programmed in your brain by now and you quickly found the right door. Inside you peeled yourself out of your coat and took a seat on the couch, trying to relax a bit. Your head was fine, but you had underestimated your energy levels. Even the short, but nevertheless swift, walk to the dressing room had exhausted you and you closed your eyes for a moment.

You opened them again when Lin barged into the room, spotting you on the couch.  
“Oh, are you alright?”  
You looked up at him, his nose and ears were red, thanks to the cold temperature outside.   
“I am. I just forgot that I did not really walk anywhere during the past few days. Feeling a bit exhausted but I am alright,” you reassured him and he put his coat away before joining you on the sofa.

“Apart from that, you feel ok?”  
“Lin, you are worse than my mother was when I had the flu for over three weeks when I was five,” you complained and he shrugged.  
“I am just worried, let me be worried. I worry about you, did I say that I was worried about you?”  
“You make my head spin with that worrying talk,” you chuckled and were glad to see him smile too.

He kept looking at you and you hesitantly returned his gaze. It still felt weird to be so close to him. Lin’s hand had taken hold of yours and his thumb was absentmindedly stroking the back of your hand. Since you stayed put, Lin leaned in, moving carefully. Just like last time, you were still surprised to feel his lips on yours. This time though you started returning the kiss a lot faster, fingers tangled in his hair. Lin deepened the kiss and pulled you closer to him. Instead of letting you go for air he only abandoned your lips for a short time, bumping his nose against yours in an almost endearing way.

Feeling encouraged by his obvious desire to keep going you took charge for a second. You pressed your lips against his again, more demanding this time, while your hands wandered from his neck to his chest. You could feel him shift slightly against you and as if you had done this more than once, you naturally followed his movement until you found yourself in his lap.

Lin leaned back for a moment, getting used to this new position. So far you had not initiated a lot and he grinned at you, an unreadable expression on his face. You were ready to ask him what he was thinking about when he leaned back in, this time for a slower kiss, his hands on the small of your back. Your fingers were still clutching his shirt, suddenly you were feeling a lot more awake than just a minute ago.

His mouth traveled from your mouth to your neck, peppering it with quick kisses, making it hard to breathe for you. You let out a quiet moan when his hands found their way under your turtleneck, slowly caressing the skin of your back, and you could feel him chuckle against your hands, even though he seemed to be a bit more breathless now too. 

At the moment you decided to pull him back to your lips, searching for more, the door to the dressing room was pushed open. Your head immediately turned to the source of the noise, not great for your eye, while Lin kept you in his firm hold, breathing against your neck.

“Oh guys, really? Give a guy a warning!” Daveed was standing in the doorway, a shocked expression on his face. Lin loosened his grip a bit and followed your gaze, you quickly looked at him, noticing that his hair had fallen out of his bun and that his lips were slightly swollen. You gulped, you had not realized that you were already longing for his touch again. Sure, you were definitely not only attracted to his brain, you were very much in for the whole package.

When you remembered that Daveed was in the room you quickly climbed off Lin’s lap, feeling lightheaded which was probably due to your concussion and what had just happened. Lin gave you an amused look and turned his attention back to his friend.

“Maybe you should knock?” Lin asked and stretched. Daveed snorted and gave you a meaningful look. Great, another topic for your talk.  
“I usually don’t have to brace myself for a steamy make-out session, so yeah… I’ll keep the knocking thing in mind. I was sent to collect you Lin, or at least to let you know that people are looking for you.”  
“Oh shit, right.”

Lin got up and frantically looked for his notebook, which he found in his bag. He quickly adjusted his bun and turned to you.  
“I’ll be back in 30 minutes I reckon. Daveed can have his talk with you, if he’s too much pretend to have a headache, alright?”  
“You do realize that I can hear you, right?” Daveed commented, a smile on his face. 

“I do, but needed to say it. I see you in a bit,” the last part was directed at you and you gave him an awkward wave. When he was gone, and you had barely caught your breath again, Daveed had taken a seat on one of the chairs, turning it so that he was facing you.  
“Did I see that clearly? Not even dating for a day and you are already getting down and dirty?!”

You laughed nervously, feeling a bit uneasy, “Um… no. That was just a bit more intense than normal kissing?”  
It didn’t even sound convincing to your ears. Daveed only gave you a raised eyebrow.  
“I don’t know how that man can be a turn on for anyone, but you do you.”  
“Hey!” - “What?” - “That’s mean!”

Daveed laughed and you relaxed a bit, he was still your best friend after all and shouldn't you be able to talk to him about everything?  
“But seriously,” Daveed grew a bit more earnest, “I need to know everything. And if you have weird sex stories, I am ready. At least I think so. I don’t know. Am I?”  
“Daveed! There are no weird stories to tell, relax!” You felt yourself turn into a tomato.  
“Not yet at least,” Daveed gave you a cheeky wink and you sighed, exasperated with his suggestions already. This would be a great talk.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit longer than the last one, so... I hope you'll like it. I also realized that it looks like I have a million comments, which is due to the fact that I respond to them. Feeling a bit like a fraud.  
>  
> 
> (Let's also thank Lin, Daveed, etc. for existing. I am a bit ashamed to write stories about real people but this is, as I've said before, purely fiction and I respect all of them so much! :))

“I am not thrilled to walk in on you two but I have to know how this came to be. Am I the fairy godmother in this story? Please, tell me that I am the reason for you two getting together!” Daveed almost begged and you laughed. He was really invested in the whole thing.

“You might have something to do with it. Does that satisfy you?” From the look on his face he wasn’t satisfied, so you began telling him everything that went down over the weekend and the past two days. He listened intently, making comments from time to time, but mostly stayed quiet. After you finished, which actually took about roughly 30 minutes, he took a deep breath.

“Well, I did not expect that! First of all, Stephan kind of started to change? That’s amazing! And I love that you get along with Diane so much better now!”  
“I didn’t expect that but she is actually quite cool. Probably should have talked a bit more to her when they started dating. I am to blame for our weird relationship, too,” you commented. It was true, it was not only Stephan’s fault, you had decided to not even try at some point and that did not help at all.

“That’s water under the bridge, for me at least. So let’s get to the important part. You will spend Thanksgiving with them, right? And I might need a little essay on how you and Lin got together, just to show it to my kids in the future. Declaring that I am the real Cupid!”  
“If it makes you happy,” you sighed, so far he had only made fun of you for getting together with Lin and it started to bug you.

“Everything alright?” Daveed asked and you looked at him.  
“Why do you continue to make fun of me? I thought you would support me and… well, Lin?”  
“You do realize that I usually make fun of everything, right?” Daveed could see that you were unsure about what to think of this and finally got a bit more serious.

“Let me tell you something. I love that you two got together. I remember how excited Lin got that one day when he secured a ticket for you. He could not stop talking about how nice my friend seemed and I immediately knew that not only you were crushing hard. Like I said, I don’t get why you fancy each other, but that’s on you. When the situation with your brother came up I thought, well that’s the best chance they get at getting together. Lin might be a smooth talker in general, but he really sucks at flirting. And I don’t even have to start talking about your non-existing flirting skills!”

“Hey!” You protested but knew that he was right. You usually just embarrassed yourself. Daveed winked at you and continued.  
“So I was actually betting on you getting together afterwards. When you just parted ways after the weekend I was a bit concerned, I did not want to pay Chris or Leslie, so your concussion thing actually saved me good money. Thanks for that!”

You couldn’t help but laugh and Daveed joined in, obviously relieved that your mood was better than just a few minutes ago. As if on cue, you were interrupted by a fierce knock on the door. You shot a questioning look at Daveed but he only shrugged.  
“Yes?”, you called in the general direction of the door and you and Daveed were immediately greeted by the grinning faces of Chris and Jonathan.

“Look Daveed? Some people understand the simple act of knocking on a door before barging in!” You grinned at your friend who rolled his eyes. Chris looked from him to you.  
“Why are you lecturing Daveed on knocking?”  
Your friend was quicker than you, “Because I felt comfortable in my second home and thought I would ask my dearest friend and Lin how they are doing. Only to walk in on them making out, that is why!”

Jonathan was barely able to contain his laughter, clutching his chest and wheezing against the doorframe. Chris shook his head, like an exasperated father, but you could spot a small smile on his face.  
“We are here for something else. First of all, how is the patient?”  
Right, apparently everyone knew about your ordeal. You pointed to your concealed eye.  
“It’s alright. But don’t think that I will ever let Lin forget that he gave me a rather unattractive accessory. Half my concealer had to go on this baby and you can still see it,” you sighed and after he calmed down, Jonathan took a step closer to you and looked at it.

“Would it help if I’d tell you that nothing could ever blemish your face?”  
Now Daveed was the one who burst into laughter and you shot him an icy glance.  
“Maybe I have to look for a new best friend. Jonathan, any open spots in your life?”  
“Sorry, already have a bestie,” Jonathan grinned at you and Daveed gave you a ‘You’re stuck with me’ look.

“Ok, so why are you here?” You asked and Chris stretched, just like everyone else, he looked a bit tired.  
“Lin told us about your first argument this morning,” he began and Daveed immediately interrupted him.  
“Oh no, you don’t get to argue so early on! I put everything I have in that relationship!”  
Chris ignored him and continued, “Since you are allowed one embarrassing picture too, I am here to collect you to get the perfect shot.”

“Why, what’s he up to?” You asked, suddenly intrigued. Jonathan grinned, he was apparently in on the whole thing, and Chris began to explain.  
“He had his meeting and afterwards came to my dressing room, just to fill me in. So we talked and I had to collect something at the stage door. When I came back he had fallen asleep. And I get that you like him but sometimes he looks like a different person when he sleeps. So, perfect contrast to the picture he took of you this morning.”

“Awww, that’s nice, he even gave you a hidden compliment!” Daveed commented and you threw your beanie at him. He caught it in one of his hands but instead of having time to be impressed you knew that you had to act fast.  
“Ok, let’s get this show on the road. Where’s your dressing room Chris?”

In the end you were all on your way to Chris’ dressing room and you only hoped that Lin was still asleep. In front of his door Chris turned to you.  
“I’ll let you in first, if we all barge in he will wake up, even though he looks really tired. You can snap the picture and wake him up, I need that couch to take a short nap too. Understood?”

You felt like you were on a military mission and could hear Daveed utter his discontent at not being able to witness the whole thing. With Chris’ permission you pushed open the door, slipped into the dressing room and shut it again, as silently as possible.

As Chris had predicted, Lin was lying on the small couch that almost took up the whole room. He was dead to the world, lying on his back one arm draped across his chest, the other dangled towards the floor. Putting one leg over the other, he had somehow managed to make it look comfortable. The reason for a good photo opportunity was his face. You again noticed the dark circles underneath his eyes but he also slept with his mouth wide open. The fact that he had also slightly turned his head made it look even more hilarious. 

You quietly took a few pictures, chose the best one, and posted it to Twitter. Your caption echoed the one he had come up with this morning:  
‘Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you the kind of sunshine I wake up to?’  
To make it more ridiculous, you added the common ‘blessed’ hashtag. In a matter of seconds the picture blew up and you could hear Lin’s phone beep in the pocket of his jeans.

You put your phone away again, remembering Chris telling you that you should wake Lin.  
To do this you crouched down next to the couch and carefully poked your… well, you could say boyfriend now, so you actually did poke your boyfriend’s cheek to wake him up. You realized that he needed to shave before the show, his signature goatee was still impeccable, but the rest of the beard had begun to grow back. You chuckled quietly, imagining him with a full beard, you had never actually thought about that.

You chuckling woke him up and with a sleepy look on his face, Lin needed a few seconds to recognize you.  
“What are you doing here?”  
“I was asked by Chris to wake you up, he would like to nap on his couch.”  
Lin propped himself up and rubbed his eyes, “Right, must have fallen asleep. What time is it?”

“You still have plenty of time. Let’s get you to your own dressing room. You need to shave (he then rubbed his face, nodding thoughtfully), get ready, and after that you can still relax for a bit, alright?”  
You felt like a mum but Lin apparently needed this kind of treatment from time to time. Behind you, the door creaked open and you heard Chris’ voice.

“Is he awake? Brilliant, get lost Miranda! I want to sleep.”  
“You can be grateful that we are such good friends,” Lin muttered but you knew that he did not mean it. Chris laughed behind you while Lin finally got on his feet.  
“See you later Mr. Hamilton,” he then added and you followed Lin out of the room. 

Daveed and Jonathan were still waiting for you and Lin gave them a weird look.  
“Why are you all here?”  
“Not important,” Daveed quickly said and gave you a wink. You nodded in his direction and Jonathan suddenly remembered that he still had to work on his fan mail.  
“Do you get a lot of mail?” You asked, for most of the way you would have to walk together. Daveed groaned behind you.

“I don’t get as much mail as Daveed does. And we don’t want to talk about the numerous bags of mail that Lin receives!” Jonathan explained.  
“Don’t make me remember. I need to start replying to things when I have a free minute, it’s beginning to look ridiculous.”  
“Where do you keep these so-called bags of fan mail?” You asked and Lin turned to you.

“Some of them are in the cupboard in my dressing room. There are also some around my home, I hide them quite well. I am just way too slow in replying. Doesn’t help that I have to really focus to write legibly.”  
“I only have one bag, now that Jonathan mentions it, I should get started on that too. Let’s meet up again later ok?”  
You agreed to Daveed’s plan and after the two other men left, you and Lin made your way to his dressing room.

He still looked tired and his first stop was the chair in front of his makeup table.  
“So, you think I should shave?” Lin asked and examined his face in the mirror.  
“Just a suggestion, people probably won’t see it. I was quite close to you,” you explained and leaned against the table.  
“I remember you being close to me,” Lin gave you a suggestive eyebrow wiggle and you sighed.

“I remember being interrupted by Daveed. That was NOT fun.”  
“Did he interrogate you while I was gone?” Lin asked and made his way over to the small sink in one corner of the room. He apparently kept some shaving essentials in his room and in a matter of seconds he put shaving cream on the areas that needed to be maintained, watching you through the mirror.

“He did not exactly interrogate me. He wants to be the fairy godmother of our relationship though. We should have seen that coming,” you shrugged and observed Lin. He was focused on not cutting himself and luckily, the shaving didn’t actually take that long.  
“Do you like the goatee?” You asked, curious about how he had settled on this look.

“Let’s just say that I think I sometimes look better if there is something on my face. Don’t you think I look dashing with my flowing hair and this daring style of beard?”  
You laughed, “I think you know what I think about the hair. I actually never saw you clean-shaven so I cannot tell you what I prefer.”  
“It’s not that hard, just google me with something like ‘young’,” he advised you and you followed his instructions.

“All I am seeing is a flood of pictures of you as a child. You were cute!”  
“Were?” Lin sounded scandalized and you continued scrolling through the pictures.  
“Are, ok? You are cute. From what I can see you have rocked that look for some time now, wait… ok, got one!”  
You tapped on the picture, it must have been a bit older, he was already in the process of growing his hair out (which actually looked a bit weird) but there was no goatee on his face, only the shadow of it.

Lin looked over your shoulder, the scent of his shaving cream filling your nose.  
“And what’s your verdict?” He asked.  
“I do like the goatee,” you admitted, which earned you a hearty laugh.  
“Let me get this straight, you are basically a sucker for the Hamilton look? What will happen when I stop doing this show? I might cut my hair. I do trim the beard from time to time, but I might even shave it off. Will you be able to handle that or are you only in this whole thing until then?”

He was joking but you could sense some real concern in his voice.  
“Are you afraid that I will break up with you if you change your look?” You pressed on and turned around to him. Lin had put his hands into his pockets, something you had witnessed numerous times by now, and did not meet your eyes.  
“No?”  
Well, that did not sound convincing, weren’t you the one that was normally worried about stuff like that?

“Just to make sure that you get this, I will not walk away because you cut your hair or shave. I might joke about it, but I like you very much. Just as you are.”  
Great, you were quoting Bridget Jones’s Diary. What was it with you and romcoms?  
Lin noticed too and smiled, “Ok, I just have to believe that then.”  
“If one of us is dumped it would be me, not you,” you added and now he was looking at you quizzically.

“What are you talking about?”  
“Come on Lin. You are really successful. You can have a lot of women out there, you would only have to ask on Twitter. If you grow tired of me you can find someone new in a minute. But I don’t want to talk about this now,” you were honest with him but at the same time, you were not in the mood for discussing things like that in this moment.

Lin did not stop fussing though, walked over to you and reached for both of your hands.  
“I get that you don’t want to talk about it. We should do that at some point though. For now, rest assured that I am not planning on getting rid of you. Understood?”  
You sighed, “Understood.”  
“So no dumping anyone. But I will shave at some point!” Lin winked at you and you managed a small smile.

There was another knock at the door and a young woman entered, carrying some garment bags.  
“Mr Miranda? I brought the costumes, just to make sure that they are here and you know where they are during the show?”  
Mr. Miranda? You looked at Lin, he was as confused as you were. The woman walked further into the room and put the garment bags on a clothes rail. Lin cleared his throat.

“First of all, everyone calls me Lin. And you are? I don’t think we have met?”  
The woman turned to him and enthusiastically shook his hand.  
“Sorry, Mr- I mean Lin. I just started. Your usual dresser is on holiday, remember?”  
Lin looked lost for a second, then he nodded.  
“Right, yeah. I forgot about that. So… what’s your name? By the way, this is (Y/N),” he introduced you.

The woman turned to you. She was a bit shorter than you and had an impressive amount of dark red hair, probably dyed. She must have been a few years younger than you too.  
“Nice to meet you. Wait, aren’t you red beanie girl?”  
“I’m afraid that’s true,” you slowly said and she turned back to Lin.  
“I am Helen, I started last month and usually work with the ensemble people. But I guess I got a temporary promotion.”

Did she sound flirty?! Or were you paranoid? Lin smiled at her and motioned for her to finish her task. Helen began unzipping the bags and one costume after the other appeared on the rail. You took a seat on the couch again while Lin was fiddling with his laptop, he really carried that thing around with him a lot. He logged in, you chuckled when you remembered his password, and quickly scrolled through his mails. 

“There's that. I’ll be back before the show starts, alright?” Helen turned to Lin and he looked up from what he was doing.  
“I usually only need hair and make up before the show. I dress myself. But I will appreciate the help during the show.”  
Helen looked taken aback for a moment, you could see her in the mirror, but quickly recovered herself with a wide smile.

“Understood. I’ll nevertheless check on the costumes and their order before the show begins.”  
Lin nodded, apparently preoccupied with an email. Helen continued waiting for him to answer and after an uncomfortable two minutes he looked back to her.  
“Oh, sorry. Thank you. Just come by before the show. Thank you for the help, it was nice meeting you Helen.”  
She gave him an enthusiastic nod and left the room without saying goodbye to you.

Once the door had closed behind her you looked to Lin, he was back to answering the email. Had you imagined that? Maybe you were just unsure about your blossoming relationship? But she had been suspiciously chipper around Lin. He usually evoked that kind of response in people but you could not shake the feeling that there was something more to Helen’s behavior. 

It did not help that she was really beautiful, her red hair had been quite the eye-catcher. Lin had moved to checking his phone and suddenly was back to paying attention to you.  
“Wait? What did you post?!”  
You were momentarily distracted from your thoughts about Helen and laughed.  
“You said that I was allowed to post one embarrassing picture!”  
“I said that. I did not think that you would follow through with it. Look at me. I look ridiculous!”  
“I think it’s endearing,” you commented, realizing that it did not sound completely sincere.

“Hmpf,” was Lin’s very eloquent response and you could see that he was scrolling through the replies to the picture. He then grinned at you.  
“Well, most people tell me that I look adorable!”  
You snorted, “Most of them are also in love with you. Or crushing hard. Probably like Helen.”

With your last comment, you pulled Lin’s attention from his phone.  
“Wait, what?”  
“Helen, your new dresser?” You asked and adjusted your voice, so that it would fit Helen’s pitch.  
“Mr Miranda, can I help you? Mr Miranda, I’d like to dress you. Oh Mr Miranda, it’s such an honor to meet you!”

Lin was laughing about you but when he saw the dark expression on your face he got up and let himself fall next to you on the sofa.  
“Are you jealous? She's only being nice.”  
“Have you seen her? She is gorgeous and she was obviously smitten with you,” you did realize that you sounded like a high schooler.

Lin put an arm around you and pulled you towards him, “No worries (Y/N), I am really smitten with you.”  
You could not stop the smile that was forming on your face when he pressed a kiss to your forehead. However, you would keep your eye on Helen. Your phone disrupted the moment and you quickly spotted Diane’s name as the Caller ID.  
“I do have to take this,” you excused yourself and picked up the phone.

“Hey Diane,” you said and Lin went back to his laptop, winking at you before he turned back to his work.  
“Hey, as I said I need to confirm with you regarding Thanksgiving. Will you be able to come?” Diane asked and waited for your response.  
“I will. And Lin will join us too.”  
Even Lin was able to hear Diane’s cheering through the phone, you had to hold it a few inches from your ears.

“I am so happy to hear that! Your parents can meet him and then we can tell everyone about the baby! I will tell Stephan that you will join us and he said that you can stay in one of your guest rooms."  
Right, they had more than one, one of the advantages that came with owning a house. You quickly sorted out your travel plans, Lin pitched in and suggested taking a flight early in the morning and everything should work out.

“I am really looking forward to seeing you again next week. And remember, you parents like to dress up for these kinds of events!” Diane reminded you and you sighed. Right.  
“I will. See you soon!”  
“You too, give Lin our best. And call if you need to know anything!”  
You finally said goodbye and put down the phone again. Thanksgiving would probably be great, on the other hand, you did not really look forward to seeing your parents.

“There’s a dress code, just so you know,” you informed Lin and he turned his head to you.  
“Really?”  
“Yup. My parents like to dress up. That means a suit for you and I will have to find a dress.”  
“Will my Hamilton suit work?”  
You looked at Lin with wide eyes and he laughed. He was joking.  
“Lin, you’re killing me. No. Although, I really like the green one. You know that, but that would probably be a bit too flashy.”

“No worries, I do own a suit. And I even own other shoes than sneakers. Look at me, a proper grown up!”  
You smiled at his response, spending that holiday with him was definitely better than being the weird single girl on Thanksgiving. Lin checked his watch.  
“I need to get ready in a bit, so…,” as if he had predicted it the door opened and his make up people entered. 

While Lin was transformed into Hamilton, which, granted, wasn’t that different from his usual look, you scrolled through Twitter and Instagram. So far you had only made the first one public and most of the responses you got on your latest post were positive.

Your mind wandered back to Helen. She apparently knew you from Twitter. That was not that weird, if she was a fan of the show, and Lin, she would have spotted you over the past few weeks. You still couldn’t shake the feeling that she had a thing for Lin, even if he laughed it off. He probably did not even realize when someone had a crush on him. 

You looked up again. Lin was still talking to the people that had helped him get ready, his hair was gathered in a sleek ponytail and you could see that he was wearing stage make up. It was not a lot, but they still needed to accentuate his eyes and make sure that he wasn’t shiny. He said goodbye to his helpers and they also gave you a small smile, which you returned.

As they left, Lin got up and started to wiggle out of his shirt.  
“Um, do you want me to leave?” You asked and he looked at you.  
“Since you have already seen me half-naked you can stay,” he decided and you chuckled, remembering the moment when you had met him right after he had taken a shower. He finished getting out of his shirt and put on an undershirt, which he then followed with the puffy blouse. After that the jeans had to go.

You kept observing him, there was nothing sexual about him undressing in front of you to put on his costume. Thank God, you thought as you laughed at him while he struggled with the long socks.  
“That’s not fun. I look ridiculous!” Lin protested.  
“You don’t.”  
“You’re saying that now Just wait until you’re here in two months and see me struggle with the socks. So sexy,” he huffed and finally moved to his pants.

The costume slowly came together and he was almost finished by the time there was another knock at the door. It was Helen, right, she was still around. She looked from you to Lin and walked over to the costumes.  
“Just checking. Everything seems to be in order, do you need help with your coat?”  
Before he could say anything in return she had already grabbed the garment and held it so that he could slip into it.

“Looks good,” Helen commented and smoothed out a few wrinkles on the coat’s sleeves and on the front. You kept watching her, maybe you were paranoid? Maybe you were misinterpreting the whole thing? Lin shot you a look, another one of his ‘I told you so’ ones. Helen gave him a last appraising look.

“Everything seems to be in order. I will help during the show, so that would be all for now.”  
Lin nodded and sat down to put on his boots.  
“Thank you, I hope that everything will go smoothly. I am very much attached to my usual dresser.”  
“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll be in good hands with me, I’ll take care of you,” Helen remarked and actually winked at him.

Once again she left the room without saying goodbye to you. You quickly looked at Lin how was still preoccupied with his boots.  
“Lin?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Did you see that? She winked at you. She is interested in you!”  
He sighed and managed to get into the second boot, “Don’t read too much into that. Maybe she’s just a flirty person. They do exist, you know?”  
“Sure…” you muttered and he looked at himself in the mirror, checking his appearance one last time. The speakers announced that the show would start in ten minutes. Lin turned back to you.

“Don’t worry too much, ok? Even if she were interested, I am not,” Lin walked over to you and leaned down to give you a quick kiss.  
“Ok,” was your short response, you were already feeling insecure about the whole thing. You probably did not need to feel like that, but Helen’s sudden appearance had unsettled you. Lin gave you another look, he was obviously unhappy to leave you.  
“Have fun. Break a leg. I will take a nap!” You tried to reassure him and gave him a small smile. He returned it and left after another kiss to the top of your head.

Maybe you really didn’t need to sweat the whole thing, but Helen was attractive. She was very attractive to be true. She immediately made everyone look at her, or at least you thought so. In addition, Lin was friendly, maybe a bit too trusting at times. You should probably talk to Daveed about the whole thing, right? You shook your head. There was no benefit in worrying, especially now that you had finally established a beginning relationship with Lin. You were probably worrying about something that was only in your head.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this took so long, but work has been a lot lately and some private things have come up that need my attention. Still, I managed to somehow finish this chapter which is a miracle to me. I hope you like it! Next chapter, there will be a bit more drama :)

While Lin (and the rest of the cast) was busy with the first act, you took the opportunity to finally have that nap that you had been longing for. You only woke up again because Lin failed to close the door silently as he returned to his dressing room for the break. He was accompanied by Jonathan, clad in his King George costume, and both of them greeted you warmly.

While Jonathan sat down on Lin’s makeup chair, the dark-haired man took a seat next to you and stretched lazily.  
“Did you have a good nap?” Lin asked and you nodded, still trying to fully wake up. Jonathan slipped out of his shoes, wiggling his toes in their white socks.  
“Matinees always test my strength,” he sighed and you chuckled.  
“Ohhh, poor babies,” you commented and Lin let his head rest on your shoulder.

His look had changed already and you knew that he would have to put on his green pants to complete his outfit. Which made you happy, you loved that outfit.  
“Don’t you need to change?” You eventually asked and he nodded.  
“Yeah sure. Soon. Let me just sleep for a bit.”  
“I don’t think that’s a good idea!”  
You know that sleeping would only lead to being even more tired and after gently shaking him, Lin got up again. Reluctantly.

“Ok, ok. Where are the pants?” Lin asked and you looked to the clothing rail. You could not spot them.  
“I don’t know, why are they not here? Didn’t that new dresser girl hang them on there?”  
You were pretty sure that Helen had put every costume on the rail but maybe she had made a mistake? Stuff like that could be confusing.  
“Well, I do need them. I’ll look for her and check,” Lin quickly squeezed your hand and left. You looked to Jonathan, who was returning the eye-contact with a raised eyebrow.

“What?” You asked and tried to look busy by searching for your phone.  
“That new dresser girl?” He checked.  
“Her name is Helen. Didn’t you see her backstage?”  
“I did spot someone new. Red hair? On the younger side?”  
You nodded, confirming Jonathan’s observations.

“And she stole his pants? What a scandal!”  
You snorted and sat down again, your snappy reaction drew his interest.  
“Why are you snorting at me?”  
“Not at you. At Helen.”  
“Is she that terrible?”  
“Not to Lin,” you huffed and could see a smile form on his face.

“Oh, now I get it. You are jealous!”  
Well, you couldn’t really deny it, so you nodded slowly. Jonathan grinned and you began to explain how Helen had behaved before the show and how she had met you and Lin. He listened and while telling him about your suspicion, you realized that you could easily become upset about this. Ridiculous.

“So she was nice to Lin? And you think maybe a bit too nice? Don’t you think that that might be because you haven’t really dated for that long?”  
You shrugged, “Maybe. I am insecure. But I don’t like her. And I have a bad feeling about this working relationship.”  
“I’ll keep an eye on her backstage, alright? If she tries to make a move I can hit her over the head with my scepter!”  
You laughed, you did not like that you had begun to worry about Helen, but the mental picture of Jonathan hitting her over the head as King George was too funny.

Lin finally returned, luckily he had not caught you talking about Helen, you felt as if he did not appreciate that topic and would probably just tell you once more that you did not need to worry. You were not worried about him, who worried you was Helen but, for now, you would have to take a step back and try to relax.

“Found your pants?” You asked and he waved them in front of you.  
“Yeah. Helen accidentally put them backstage. Now, let me do a quick change.”  
He managed to get out of the pants he was currently wearing in a matter of seconds and put on the green pair. When he was finished he posed like a model on the runway.

“How do I look?” Lin asked and you and Jonathan applauded his posing.  
“Wonderful, simply wonderful,” Jonathan commented in his show accent. You laughed and Lin joined in.  
“I actually don’t need your opinion (Y/N), I know that you love the green ensemble!” Lin winked at you and you could feel your face grow hot.  
“It’s a very nice fabric,” you mumbled and now both men were laughing about your comment.

“Hey, that’s not nice!” You protested and Lin managed to quiet down a bit.  
“No worries, I think it’s charming. And I do look great in green,” he pressed a kiss to your temple and you simply had to smile. He really was sweet with you and you knew that you could count yourself lucky to (finally) have him.  
The voice from the speaker announced that they would have to be back on stage in ten minutes and both Jonathan and Lin began to get ready again. Lin took a few hasty gulps of water and smoothed down his hair, while Jonathan was scrolling through his phone, he did not need to hurry that much since he had not to be on stage during the first few numbers.

“Will you still be around after the show?” Lin checked with you and you nodded.  
“I am planning on going home before the second one starts though,” you declared, noticing that Lin was smiling when you were referring to his apartment as home.  
“Understandable. You should remember that you are still on sick leave,” he reached out and gingerly touched the area around your right eye. It wasn’t as sore as before and for the first time you did not flinch.

“Looks a bit better,” Lin commented and you smiled.  
“Well, it is concealed. But I think it has gotten a bit better. My head also doesn’t really hurt anymore.”  
Lin nodded, ignoring the following 5 minute announcement.  
“I’ll see you after the show, I will need to do some autograph signing after that but you can leave when I leave the theater to do that? And if you want you can order some food and watch all the romcoms you can find around my home or on Netflix.”

That sounded like a pretty good idea and you nodded, smiling at the man before you. Jonathan, whom you had forgotten, cleared his throat behind you.  
“Shouldn’t you get going Lin?”  
“Sure,” Lin gave you a goofy smile and was practically dragged out of his dressing room by Jonathan, which you observed with a smile. 

They were acting like teenagers that had to get to one of their classes. You waved at them and when they left the dressing room you decided to look at a few of the books Lin kept around. One of them was the Hamilton biography that had apparently inspired him to write the musical, so you pulled it out from a bigger pile of books and settled down on the couch. There were definitely worse things that one could do in their spare time.

 

You almost missed Lin’s return after the show, the biography was actually quite interesting and you only looked up when Lin was standing in front of you.  
“So you found something to do while I was gone?” He was smiling down at you and you put the book away.  
“I of course spent the first few minutes thinking about how handsome you are and then I had to read to distract myself,” you teased him and Lin chuckled. He was now wearing the black suit and you watched him as he put the coat on one of the hangers.

“How was the show?” You asked and handed him a water bottle. Before Lin was able to answer he downed most of the bottle’s contents and you were kind of impressed by that.  
"It was great. Like Jonathan said, matinees are always a bit of a struggle, mostly because we know that we have to do the same thing again in the evening. But I love them too. There was a very enthusiastic child in the fourth row who was rapping along with most of us during the show.”

You smiled, “First of all, it’s amazing how well you can spot people in the audience and that is actually really sweet. Maybe the kid will be at the stage door? I bet he would be delighted to meet you!”  
Lin nodded and continued to doff his costume. He was looking for his jeans while you picked the pants off from the floor and put them on a hanger.  
“You don’t have to pick up after me but thank you,” Lin had also put on a comfortable looking hoodie and you shook your head at him.

“We don’t want Helen to get angry now do we?” You said, failing to sound sincere. Lin looked you over and took the hanger from you, putting the pants away.  
“She won’t be angry and you don’t need to worry. Didn’t I tell you that roughly three hours ago?”  
You looked at him, “I know. It’s just. I don’t like her. She’s pretty. And charming. And I have a black eye.”

“From yours truly!” Lin grinned but after spotting your sour face continued, “Jokes aside, I don’t want you to mull over this, so listen to me. I like you. A lot. I am still amazed that you seem to return that sentiment, so I would never do anything to ruin that. Helen is nice and maybe even charming, but there’s no way that I would risk this, alright? And black eye or not, I think you are gorgeous.”  
Lin spoke slowly and you could see that his cheeks grew a bit redder while he was explaining to you why you did not need to worry. You chose to believe him for now.

“Understood.”  
“Really? I don’t want to discuss it again tonight,” Lin smiled at you and took a step towards you.  
“I promise that I won’t bring it up again tonight,” you swore and he pulled you towards him.  
“You might have to seal that promise with a kiss,” he whispered against your lips and you snickered. Before you could reply anything, Lin had pressed his lips against yours and you enthusiastically returned his actions.

It did not turn into another heated make-out session, mostly because there was a sudden but vehement knock on the door. Lin broke away from the kiss and cleared his throat.  
“Come in?”  
Your heart sank when you saw Helen’s red hair in the doorway. She stopped in her tracks when she realized that she had interrupted you two.

“Oh, I am sorry. I can come back later?” Helen asked and Lin let go of you completely.  
“No worries, I do need to go outside soon anyways. What’s up?”  
She looked from you to Lin but even though you noticed that she was uncomfortable you kept looking at her. Maybe it was immature but you felt like you had to stand your ground.

“I just wanted to apologize again for not taking care of the costume. I should have left the green pants in here and instead of doing that I took them with me. It will never happen again,” Helen did look apologetically and you almost felt a bit sorry for her.  
“You have already apologized three times Helen, and as I said, it’s ok. I won’t have anyone fired for mixing up some pants.”

Helen gave him a seemingly shy smile and you had to stop yourself from rolling your eyes. Especially when you noticed that he returned the smile, ever the trusting guy. Silence stretched between the three of you and you finally broke it.  
“I do have to get going now. Lin, let’s get you to the stage door and I’ll go home after that.”  
Lin nodded, “Sounds like a good plan! Helen, I’ll see you later!”

The redhead apparently knew that Lin’s statement dismissed her for now and she slipped out of the room. You were looking for your coat.  
“Three times? Really?”  
“Four now. She is a bit insecure. That’s ok, weren't you nervous when we met?”  
"It's mean to play that card right now,” your protested but knew that he was right.  
“Just saying,” Lin mused and you could hear his smile in his tone of voice. 

You turned around to him, red beanie on your head.  
“Ok, I’ll let the topic go for now. But if she starts flirting with you, I will know. Just saying,” you mimicked his tone.  
“Wait, do you have spies in MY theater?”  
“It’s not your theater, but yes. And it’s not Daveed!”  
Lin shook his head, looking at you dumbfounded.

“Remind me to never get on your bad side,” he was back to chuckling and you let yourself smile again.  
“Sure. I don’t think I’ll get mad at you quickly. If you behave!”  
“Yes Madam!”, Lin playfully saluted and slipped on his sneakers. He was now fully back in his casual look and you grabbed your bag, ready to leave.

“Wait!”, Lin suddenly interrupted your way to the door and you turned around to him.  
“Yeah?”  
“How will you get home? Did you call an Uber?”  
“I’ll just hail a cab,” you said. You had planned to walk a few blocks, to get some fresh air, and then resort to a cab to take you back to Lin’s apartment.  
“You should’ve said something, I could have called for one.”

“Lin, you don’t need to take care of me all the time, I can get by.”  
“I like taking care of you!” Lin protested and finally followed you out the door.  
“And I like you for that. But as I said, I can survive on my own. I will walk a few blocks and get a cab after that. Promise. I won’t wear myself out.”

On your way to the stage door, Daveed joined you and began talking about a brunch his girlfriend was planning.  
“I don’t really get brunch. It’s not breakfast, it’s not lunch, but the ingredients of both of those mix. Why?”  
“Daveed, are you seriously complaining about eating bacon and sausages at the same time?!” You asked and he thought about it for a second.  
“Actually, no. But still, it’s so much work. And I don’t know why we have to do it? Her parents are in town, they know that we are busy, and preparing a brunch is so time-consuming.”

You could hear Lin laugh silently behind you and decided to bring an end to Daveed’s complaining.  
“When’s the brunch?”  
“Tuesday. They will stay with us over Thanksgiving.”  
“Alright. I can provide a cake for the brunch, or cupcakes? Would that help?”  
Daveed turned to you and before you could react, he pulled you into a firm hug.  
“You. Are. The. Best!”  
“Ok, ok. Please don’t squish me. Just let me know what you need and I’ll take care of it. And don’t stress Jalene too much.”  
“Can I get a cake too?” Lin piped up behind you.  
“If you behave,” you proclaimed and he took your hand in his.  
“We’ll see about that!”

Daveed groaned audibly and Lin and you laughed at the other man’s exasperated expression.  
“Come on guys, there are children out there. Behave!” Daveed ordered and you tried to keep a straight face.  
Once Daveed opened the stage door, you could already hear a lot of people. Enthusiastic chatter greeted you and it immediately turned into cheering once the crowd realized that they had not only gotten Daveed, but also Lin.

“I think that’s my cue,” you laughed and Lin nodded, already smiling at a few of the people.  
“Don’t do too much and if you should feel unwell, call me. Or maybe call the theater, I might be busy. You know, being a Broadway sensation!” Lin winked at you and you gave him a playful shove.  
“At this rate, my parents will hate you,” you promised and he grinned.  
“We wouldn’t want that, now would we?” He agreed and gave you a quick kiss. 

You could hear some of the people around you aww-ing, so you smiled shyly. It was great that they reacted in that way but you still felt a bit insecure about having a relationship that was pretty much out in the open. Lin gave you a quick hug and you finally let go of him.  
“I’ll get going. Go and make some people happy!”  
He nodded and you waved at Daveed, who was already taking pictures. He nevertheless took the time to call out to you, “I’ll get back to you regarding that cake!”

You nodded, smiling. Lin had started to autograph playbills and you took the chance to slip away. A few fans smiled at you, which you returned, but in the span of a few minutes, you were out of the masses and could breathe again. The enthusiasm that people showed for the show was amazing, but you quickly felt suffocated.

As planned, you walked a few blocks. New York was full of unique little stores that could unexpectedly pop up around every corner. When you eventually decided to hail a cab you had bought a few things, a loaf of bread, some flowers and even a few ingredients for baking. You needed to do something with your hands and since you were not allowed to work, you decided to at least practice a bit.

The cab took you back to Lin’s and after paying the driver you walked up the steps to the apartment building. You did not really want to admit it, but you felt exhausted and the thought of ordering some food and watching romcoms sounded appealing. After storing away the things you had bought and putting the flowers in a vase next to the daisies that had started to go slightly limp, you walked over to the living room and let yourself fall onto the couch. Just breathing for a few minutes sounded great.

After relaxing for a bit you decided to take off your make up and follow through with Lin’s suggestion, namely eating and watching Netflix. Taking off the concealer once again showed you your gorgeous black eye. The swelling had gone down a bit and instead of being completely black and blue, you could now spot a few more colors on the right side of your face. Colors like green and yellow. Charming!

Lin had texted you while you were in the bathroom.  
‘Did you arrive home safely?’  
'Yup, thinking about ordering food now. Do you want anything?’  
His reply took a bit longer, so you put some water on the stove to make tea. While you were waiting, your phone beeped again.

‘I would not mind having some pizza when I come home? I cannot eat that much before a show, just imagine me burping my way through Hamilton!’  
You laughed and while you calmed down again you got another text from him.  
‘Are you laughing?’  
‘Maybe a little bit. Pizza it is. Hawaiian style I presume?’  
He replied with a thumbs up emoji and you put your phone away. Lin should definitely focus on the show now and you were ready for your tea and some romantic movies.

After watching Bridget Jones and The Proposal (you had not been joking, there was a method to your madness) you ordered the pizzas and let Lin know that he would be greeted by food once he returned home. The second show had already started, so it took some time until you got an answer, which consisted of a picture of him, smiling blissfully. He still looked tired, so you made a mental note to get him to sleep early that day.

When Lin returned you had finished your pizza. Once again he gave notice of his arrival by shuffling into the hallway.  
“I’m home!” Lin declared, sounding a bit more awake than last time. You had settled in the kitchen, with another tea and a book, and he followed your “There's food on the table!” Which was true, you had put his pizza box in front of you.

“Oh, that looks good, let me pop that in the oven. I cannot wait to get some food!” Lin looked like a child at a fair that was promised a big ballon and you chuckled.  
“Are you that hungry?”  
“Yeah. Like I said, eating between shows is a tricky business. I have spent the last few songs with a rumbling stomach. Luckily, no one can hear that!”  
You laughed at the mental image of people hearing Hamilton’s stomach growling during the more serious numbers of the show.

While the pizza was getting hot, you put the book away and listened to Lin telling you about something that had gone wrong during the show.  
“We are in the middle of ‘The Story of Tonight’ when Anthony suddenly trips. Daveed barely caught him before his face met the stage and they kind of acted as if it were intended but I almost forgot my line. Luckily it was not my fault this time!”  
“Do you guys often make mistakes?” You asked and Lin shrugged.

“It happens. Especially on two show days. I sometimes forget my lines or I mix something up and if you are in the middle of a rap you better be good at improvising. It’s scary to forget lines, I hate that. And since I am getting older it happens all the time!”  
Lin sighed theatrically and you laughed.  
“You act like you are 80,” was your comment and he raised an eyebrow at you.  
“I’ll be 80 sooner than you. A lot sooner. So don’t make fun of me!”

He got up again and got his pizza from the oven. He didn’t even wait until he was back at the table, taking one slice and taking a bite while sitting down.  
“Finally. I love pizza,” he mumbled, it was hard to understand him with his mouth full. You watched him eat for a quiet five minutes, in which he managed to wolf down most of the pizza. It would have been impressive, would you not have been concerned for his stomach.

“Slow down Lin. It’s not a competition.”  
“But I am hungry!” Lin protested and before you could respond anything, he shoved the last piece into his mouth. You could only shake your head. Men. They were weird.  
“Alright, I am tired. I don’t want to get up in the middle of the night because your stomach hurts, you will have to deal with that. The way in which you ate that pizza was way too fast!” You warned Lin and he grinned.

“Understood. But I am a pro.” You ignored his comment.  
“You should get ready for bed too, you look tired. You always look tired, but right now it’s even worse,” you instructed Lin and he only nodded, growing quieter.  
“I’ll catch a shower and see you after that?” He checked and got up.  
“Sure thing.”

While you were placing the dishes and your cup in the dishwasher you could her him hum a tune while showering. You smiled, you would never get musical theater out of that guy. You had already changed into your pajamas and only made sure that you had turned off all the lights before getting into bed. You were tired, but imagining how tired Lin had to be made you even more sleepy.

He joined you soon, his slightly damp hair in a bun and let himself fall onto his side of the bed. You turned to him, at least this time you did not need to tuck him in.  
“So, how was the rest of your day?” Lin asked and you thought about it.  
“I bought some flowers, a loaf of bread and watched a few romcoms. Like you suggested.”  
You could see him smile, he still had not turned off the lamp on his side of the bed.

“And what have you planned for tomorrow?” He continued and you stretched.  
“Probably some baking. Bought a few ingredients. Do you have a double show tomorrow?”  
“No, only standard evening show,” he replied and yawned. You took one of his hands in yours and he looked down at you, still propped up against his cushions.

“Lin, you should sleep. I am tired and I did not even handle a fourth of the things you did today,” you knew that you sounded concerned and when Lin noticed that tone in your voice he raised your clasped hands to his lips and pressed a kiss against yours.  
“I do sleep, in case you are wondering,” he then said and you sighed.  
“Well, then you should sleep a bit more. Tomorrow we can sleep in right? That’s great! But you look even more tired than during the days I stayed with you while my brother was here.”

You could see that he did not want to comment on your observations, Lin finally turned off the light on his side and you could hear that he tried to get comfortable next to you.  
“Did I say something wrong?” You asked, not satisfied with how he had stopped the conversation. You could hear him sigh and heard the sheets rustle when he turned to you. The pale moonlight illuminated one side of his face and this time he searched for your hand.

“I have slept less the past few days because I keep waking up,” Lin began and you waited for him to finish his thought, “I keep waking up because I want to check on you. Now you are feeling better, but during the first nights I woke up to see if you have a fever, or if something else happened while I slept. I did that when I slept at your place, the first night you spent here after going to the doctor's, I regularly got up and checked on you. I continued to do that and that might have taken a tiny toll on my sleeping schedule.”

He had grown quieter and you squeezed his hand in yours.  
“Lin, that’s incredibly sweet. But I am feeling better now. Mostly thanks to you. My eye does not hurt that bad anymore, it mostly looks weird. And as long as I am not running around, my head feels fine too. You can sleep. If anything happens, I would wake you up.”  
You could see him nod but weren’t content with how this confession had altered the room’s atmosphere.

“Come here,” you finally said and softly pulled on Lin’s shirt.  
“What are you doing?” He asked, obviously confused by what you were trying to accomplish.  
“If you are that afraid that something might happen, you just have to sleep really close to me. And I want you to sleep, so come here!”  
He followed your directions and after some shuffling around you had positioned the both of you so that his head was lying on your chest.

“This feels weird,” you could hear Lin mumble against the fabric of your shirt.  
“Deal with it.” He laughed at your snappy answer but you could feel him relax against you. The way in which you were lying now made it possible for you to run your fingers through his hair, or at least the parts that had found a way out of his bun. He would definitely have waves the next morning. Lin contentedly hummed and you continued to massage the area between his neck and skull. It only took a few minutes before he relaxed even more, feeling heavier, and you let out a sigh of relief. Now you only had to make sure that he would sleep through the night. That would be easy, right?


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your patience! After some more uneventful chapters (like this one), the next should have a bit more action! I might have a bit more time to write next week, so stay tuned!
> 
> But once again thank you for being so understanding. I am really struggling with life and work atm and I do love writing this story, but I need a clear head to do so. That's why it took me so long. Thank you for understanding and keeping up with the story. It's so long already and I am overwhelmed by your continuing support. Maybe I will write a short oneshot at some point to say thank you, once I have more time again.
> 
> But now, let's continue with the story! x

Sleeping with Lin lying literally on you only had one positive aspect, you were warm all throughout the night. The downside was that you had not moved an inch during your sleep. Your right arm was tingling already when you woke up and while you were caught between the cushion and a man that was definitely weighing more than a house cat, Lin was still sleeping peacefully. The sunlight that was already streaming through the windows did not wake him in the slightest and after cherishing the moment for a few more minutes you simply had to move, you needed blood circulation in your arm.

“Lin?” You whispered, carefully to not make him jump. He seemed as if he had slept through the night and you did not want to destroy the calmness that had settled over the room. When you moved a bit you noticed that he had begun to blink sleepily. You waited for him to wake up a bit more and when he finally began to move he immediately looked up to you.

“Oh, good morning,” Lin whispered, sleeping had turned his voice into a gravelly grumble and you laughed.  
“What?” He still had not moved and you calmed down again.  
“Your voice sounds quite different this morning,” you commented and he shrugged, head still lying on your chest. He seemed to enjoy his current position.

Moving had made it possible for you to free your arm from under the man above you, and you moved it around a bit.  
“What are you doing?” Lin mumbled against your shirt and you put the arm around his shoulders.  
“Trying to make my blood move back into my right arm. It’s working!” You informed him.  
“Sorry for cutting off your circulation.”

“It’s ok. Did you sleep well?” You inquired and waited for his answer.  
“Actually, I did. I did not wake up once. Must have been your calming presence,” he returned to the position in which he could look up to you.  
“Or the fact that you were sleeping on my boobs,” you noted and he grinned.  
“Maybe that too.”  
You both smiled at each other and finally Lin rolled back onto his side. You took a deep breath but immediately missed his warmth. Every good thing had to come to an end at some point, right?

Lin stretched beside you, accentuated with a long yawn. You observed him, his hair was coming loose and you gleefully noticed that he did indeed have waves from keeping his damp hair in a bun.  
“Are you laughing at me?” Lin asked and you giggled affirmatively.  
“You have a great hairdo today,” you snickered and he raised an eyebrow at you.  
“Why?”  
“It’s very wavy.”

Lin groaned and rubbed his face. He was still sporting his by now signature bags under his eyes, but he looked as if he had really needed the sleep.   
“Great, they’ll have to straighten my hair if it’s too wavy. Let me check!”  
Lin sat up and grabbed his phone, taking a picture of himself. You could spot yourself laughing in the background, half of your face hidden behind the blanket. Lin was scowling at the camera. He did not only have waves, they were quite uneven, too.

“Am I allowed to post this?” He asked you and you nodded. Lin quickly typed out a caption and put his phone away after posting said picture.  
“Have I said good morning to you?” Lin turned back to you and you nodded.  
“Yeah, about five minutes ago. Very sleepily.”  
“That doesn’t count. So, once again, good morning!” Lin leaned down to you and gave you a quick kiss.

“And good morning to you too,” you responded and grinned at him like a mad woman. You still couldn’t believe that this was really happening! Lin gave you a funny look, obviously not understanding why you were looking at him the way you did. He rolled out of bed and walked towards one of the big windows.  
“It looks great outside,” he commented and stretched once again. Then he suddenly turned back to you.  
“Wait… today is Thursday right?!” He questioned and you had to look at your phone to be sure. He had linked you in his Twitter post, so you would have to check that out later.

“Yes, it’s Thursday today. Why?” You asked and he nervously put his hair back into a bun, the damage was already done, so why bother?  
“Uhm… I might need to plan a few things for our date tomorrow?”   
You laughed, you had forgotten that he was actually quite flustered about the whole thing. To calm him down, you followed him out of bed and walked up to Lin who was back to staring at the street. Or rather to pretending to stare at the street, he was clearly thinking about what he had just said.

“We don’t have to do a big thing alright? You have the show on Friday, so a late night date would be a bit weird, and we can stick with the afternoon plan? Have you come up with anything?”  
“I was thinking about doing a good old-fashioned coffee date?” Lin suggested, sounding shy about his idea. You smiled at him, coffee and possibly some pastries with the man you grew to really like sounded more than ok. While you were thinking about his idea Lin had begun to nervously stare at you, so when you realized what he was doing, you quickly answered him.

“Coffee date sounds great. Where do you want to meet?”  
“Oh, I’ll text you the address, Let’s act like we don’t really know each other,” Lin smiled and finally looked relieved. As if on cue, your stomach began to rumble and you both laughed.  
“Time for breakfast I think!” Lin announced and while you were still looking for warm socks, he was already on his way to the kitchen.

After putting on your socks, you finally checked the latest Twitter post from Lin. In the picture you actually looked quite mischievous in the background and he was complaining about this in his post,  
‘I woke up like this, wavy hair don’t care. (I do care about @(Y/N) laughing behind me, shame on you!)’

Most of his followers were discussing his hair underneath the post, so you decided to chime in, ‘Makes you look like a seventies popstar!’  
After posting your answer it only took a few seconds until you could hear Lin calling you from the kitchen.  
“If you want your coffee you should stop insulting the guy who prepares it!”  
You snickered and put your phone in one of the pockets of the sweatpants you were wearing. Time to get that promised coffee.

“The people love you for being so snarky,” Lin commented when you stepped into the kitchen and you nodded slowly.  
“Let’s hope it stays that way!”  
“Why shouldn’t it?”  
“Lin, people like you. Some maybe a bit more than others and while most of them are nice, some could be mean if they wanted to. I don’t want to experience something like that,” you sighed and took a seat. Lin had opened a window and the cold air blew away the last remnants of sleep on your mind.

“I don’t think anyone would dare to insult you. The whole Hamilton cast would come for them,” Lin casually threw in and you knew that he was right. The support was insane and you really appreciated the community that you had become acquainted with thanks to Daveed (which he could never know since you would never hear the end of it). Lin put a steaming mug in front of you and you immediately cradled it in your hands.

“I got you addicted to my coffee huh?” He mentioned and took the seat opposite you.  
“Is that a In the Heights reference?” You asked and he smiled.  
“So you checked out my other work?”  
You felt your cheeks grow hot and quickly took a sip of coffee.  
“Maybe,” you mumbled and Lin only smiled, humming a random tune to himself. 

You had grown to love these quiet mornings with him, they felt completely natural which made you realize that you would have to move back to your apartment at some point. If someone were to ask you, you would have no problem with moving in with Lin right at this point, even though that would probably be a bit rushed. So you kept it to yourself.

“(Y/N)?” Lin’s voice got through to you again and you looked up.  
“Huh?”  
“I was asking about what you have planned for today? I do have to get going a bit earlier than yesterday, we still have to get some things done for the interview on Saturday,” he explained.  
“I was thinking about baking something. I don’t want to be out of practice when I return to work on Monday,” you told him and began to think about what you could bake.

“I’d never complain about plans like that. Can I eat everything you bake when I return?”  
You laughed, “That would probably be a bit much, but you can have some of the things I do today, ok?”  
“That’s fine with me!” Lin declared and offered you a cookie. Where did he keep things like that? You didn’t question it further and simply took the chocolate chip cookie, ready for something to eat. Lin would probably eat on his way to the theater, so you had to come up with something else.

After finishing your coffees, and talking about booking a flight for Thanksgiving (which Lin ultimately did via his phone), Lin had settled on taking another shower. You suspected that he simply wanted to get rid of his wavy hair, which he denied, but when he left the kitchen you could hear him mutter, “I will not be laughed at for my gorgeous head of hair!”  
He caught you laughing and stuck out his tongue at you.

While Lin was busy taking care of his hair and getting ready, you once again checked the assignments that Cat had forwarded you. You definitely wanted to get ready for the next wedding, so you decided to practice some of the floral decorations for the cake. Since Lin probably did not want to be presented with overly sugary flowers once he returned from the theater you also settled on very easy vanilla bean cupcakes with which you would start as soon as he was gone.

While waiting for him to return, you kept scrolling through your phone and settled on Twitter after a while. Being in a relationship with Mr Twitter himself apparently entailed getting addicted to this app too. A few more people had responded to his tweet, among them Pippa, who had commented with a few laughing emojis and the suggestion of Lin joining the Schuyler Sisters with his new hairdo. You favorited the tweet and scrolled down a few more responses. One profile picture caught your eyes, or rather the red hair in it.

As a matter of fact, you had found Helen’s twitter. Great, what a wonderful way to start the day. You could not resist and tapped on her Twitter handle, which was simply her name. She was following Lin and you, so you must have missed her when she started following you. To be honest, you had lost track of who was following you. Her picture showed Helen in front of a random shop in New York, a frozen yoghurt in hand and smiling at the camera. She was beautiful, you had to admit that, and her vibrant red hair only added to this.

Her profile bio told you the basic facts about her ‘New Yorker. Just a 24-year-old looking for new opportunities. Never stop dreaming!’. You rolled your eyes. You hated stuff like this, all those people talking about chasing dreams, while forgetting that some people simply could not afford that. You took a calming breath, it was alright, everyone was entitled to their opinion. Maybe you only reacted this way because you already did not like her.

After scrolling through a few tweets you quickly got a better picture of Helen. She loved her job at the theater and had already tweeted about yesterday, which was understandable. Suddenly being promoted to helping the guy who wrote the show was exciting after all. She also apparently took dance lessons in her free time and enjoyed poetry readings with her friends. Instead of going further down her timeline, you closed the app and put your phone away. You would only dislike her more, maybe Lin did not see it, but you were sure that Helen was trouble and would prove your point in the future.

When Lin returned you had already brewed a second cup of coffee and he stole a sip from your mug. His hair was dry, he must have blow-dried it and you could not help but bring it up.  
“Hair crisis is averted?”  
“Ha ha, very funny. You like my hair, so don’t make me think about cutting it prematurely,” Lin threatened and you pushed your mug over to him, as a peace offering.

“I would never dare say anything against it,” you responded slowly and got up to check on what you had bought yesterday. Lin observed you moving through the kitchen and after a few seconds, you turned to him.  
“Are you watching me?”  
“Yes,” he simply answered and you shook your head. He then looked at his phone and you realized that you had actually managed to buy everything you would need. Which was great, so you did not need to leave the house at all today.

Lin was still focused on his phone, so you stepped up behind him and let your hands rest on his shoulders. When he did not react to it, you started to slowly massage the tense muscles in his back. This finally earned you a response in form of a groan.  
“Do you want me to stop?” You asked and he shook his head.  
“No, that feels great. Apart from the pain, but I can manage.”  
“Such a strong man,” you commented and continued. Kneading dough by hand had made you quite strong, and Lin had obviously underestimated your strength. When you moved your hands to another area he quickly got up and rolled his shoulders.

“No one told me that you are able to break bones!” Lin protested and you laughed.  
“I would not say that I could break bones, but my hands are quite skilled!” Even while you were saying it, you realized that you had involuntarily delivered a really good innuendo. Lin’s smile turned a bit more fiendish and he took a step towards you.  
“Is that so? I might keep that in mind.”  
You swallowed hard, there were only two ways out of this, you would either have to come up with something else or own up to it. You decided on the last one.

“If you keep being nice to me, I might show you soon,” you told him, giving him a, hopefully, alluring smile. It seemed to work, now he was the one who had to swallow and while you were still basking in your quick-wittedness, Lin pulled you towards him.  
“So I have to work for it?” He inquired, his voice a few notes deeper than usual. Ok, why did he have to unhinge you constantly?  
“I… yes. Yes, that’s what I wanted to say,” Another flawless example of being quick-witted, well done (Y/N)!

“Oh, I intend to work for it then,” Lin now whispered against your lips. When had he leaned in to you? You did not really care, for when he finally kissed you, you enthusiastically returned it. The kiss grew more eager and you only parted when your hips bumped into the kitchen counter.  
“Oh, sorry,” Lin immediately apologized, sounding out of breath.  
“It’s ok, really,” you responded and took a second to catch your breath. The kiss had not taken too long but it made you feel wobbly on your feet.

Lin rubbed his neck, obviously thinking about what to say. The sound of his ringtone rescued you both from the slightly uncomfortable situation and he almost desperately answered the call. You smiled at him and began to sort the different baking ingredients by what you would need them for. Lin was leaning against the kitchen counter you had just bumped into and was busy listening to someone. After a while, he spoke up.

“Ok, so what do you want exactly?” He rolled his eyes and mouthed a word at you. You were not really skilled in lipreading and indicated this with a shrug. Lin shook his head at you, smiling and after listening some more to the person at the other end of the line he answered again.  
“So you are just calling me to get tickets to Hamilton again? Dad (he emphasized the way in which he addressed his father), you should be able to afford a ticket. But, since I love you, I will see what I can do!”

His dad apparently answered in Spanish, Lin also switched to the beautiful sounding language. You had taken Spanish in school and were able to follow a basic conversation but since Lin spoke quite quickly and with an accent that you definitely did not understand you focused on the task in front of you. When he finished his phone call you had sorted everything in neat groups and were looking at them proudly.

“So, your dad wants to see Hamilton?” You asked and Lin put his phone away.  
“My dad wants to see every Broadway show,” he began and hesitated before he continued, “I told them about us. By the way. I did it and then I remembered that I probably should have coordinated that with you.”  
You looked at him, “That’s ok. I forced you to play my boyfriend for a weekend, so you can tell your parents everything you want about me.”

“Alright. I told them that I met a really nice woman, so they want to meet you soon,” Lin leaned over to you and gave you a kiss on the cheek. You grinned, that was different from the last kiss you had shared with him.  
“We should probably wait until my eye has calmed down a bit,” you mused and Lin nodded thoughtfully.  
“I also told them about that incident. My mum was a bit upset with me because of it. Does that calm your nerves?”

“I am calm!” You protested and Lin smiled.  
“Is that why you are crushing the already powdered sugar in your hands?” He motioned to the packet of powdered sugar that had indeed begun to burst open a bit.  
“Oh… Ok, I might be a tiny bit nervous. Meeting the parents is a big step!”  
“You seem to forget that I will meet you parents next week!”  
Right. He was totally right and you took a deep breath to calm down.

“Let’s make a deal. You will meet my parents next week, and we can have dinner with your parents the week after that?”  
“I’ll arrange everything. They will be thrilled!” Lin announced and you shook your head at his enthusiasm. Still, it was great to see that he was happy about this and you actually looked forward to meeting his parents, from the pictures you had seen so far, they seemed nice.

“I will get going I think. As always, call me when you need something,” Lin mentioned and you nodded.  
“I know. There’ll be some cupcakes waiting when you return!” You promised and he grinned.  
“I am looking forward to it. Now, I’ll get ready for boring interview rehearsals and a hopefully more eventful show,” he left the kitchen and you could hear him rummaging around the hallway. Probably looking for his scarf again. When he returned he was clad in his outdoor attire and only needed to collect his phone.

“I’ll check in with you throughout the day. Cannot wait for tonight, cupcakes!” Lin declared and you laughed.  
“So you are only looking forward to baked goods?”  
“No, I am always happy to see you, too!”  
He crossed the short way to you and gave you a proper kiss, not one that made your legs wobbly again, but one that stirred up the butterflies in your stomach. Too soon, he let go of you and gave you a wink before waving at you and walking out the kitchen.

After hearing the apartment door close you quickly got to work on the first batch of sugar flowers. From remembering the last time you had prepared something like this, you knew that it would take you some time until you would get it right. While preparing the different things you needed, you thought about what was happening in your life. You were finally in a happy relationship, and, what surprised you even more, you had never expected it to be with someone like Lin. You were still in awe of his talent and the kindness with which he welcomed almost everyone. You were really lucky to have him. He also turned you crazy, which was something you would have to act on rather sooner than later. 

It took you a few attempts at forming the first row of flowers, and the thoughts about your and Lin’s relationship did not help. You tried to kind of unsuccessfully banish these musings and managed to get at least some flowers done after more than an hour. Time to catch a shower, before trying another technique. Lin had not texted you in the meantime, he must have been busy with rehearsals, so you sent him a picture of the flowers before showering.

When you returned to the kitchen, wet hair in a bun and dressed in another variation of comfy clothes, you were pleased to see that the flowers still looked pristine. In the past, you had always somehow managed to make them, but sometimes the petals began to droop. Your phone chimed and you were prepared to see Lin’s name on the screen. Instead, you were presented with a group text notification. Jonathan had apparently added you to a group text situation with Daveed. Why that was the case was unknown to you. You opened the notification.

‘Hey (Y/N), Daveed and I were talking and we though it would be great to open a a group text,’ way to explain this Jonathan, you thought.  
‘Understood, but why exactly?’ You typed back and waited for some time before there was an answer. It was Jonathan again.  
‘Remember how you put me on Helen watch?’ You immediately became more attentive.  
‘Yes, why?’

‘Well, I had to tell Daveed after I witnessed something like 5 minutes ago. He was there too and I needed to come clean.’  
‘Jonathan, I don’t care about why you had to tell him right now, what is going on?!’  
Instead of Jonathan, Daveed got back to you this time. He also chose to call you instead of texting. You answered immediately, growing more nervous by the second.

“Hello? Daveed, what’s going on?”  
“First of all, how dare you not telling me about that weird girl Helen?!”  
“Daveed please. Because I knew that you would turn into an over-protective friend! What have you witnessed?! If this is just some prank I will kill you and Jonathan!”  
You could hear the other man wince in the background, Daveed must have put you on speaker.

“Well, I was walking towards the stage, we do have rehearsals for this television thing on Saturday, I guess Lin told you. I did see him talk to a woman I didn’t know while catching a break and drinking some water. Now I know that her name is Helen,” you huffed impatiently and Daveed continued, “They were talking about something and I stood just a few feet away, so I could hear them. Jonathan then came up to me and we both were able to overhear what they were talking about.”

“Girl, she is pulling a Maria Reynolds!” Jonathan interjected and you started to listen attentively.  
“What is going on?” Your question sounded more like a demand and you could hear a short rustle, probably Daveed pushing Jonathan away. He came back on the phone.  
“I hate to admit it, but Groff is right. She was talking to Lin about her student debt, which I get, it sucks. Apparently she had to pay back a bigger amount than she had anticipated and now she cannot afford her rent and lo and behold -“  
You interrupted him, “He offered to loan her money, didn’t he?”

His silence told you enough and you sighed. It was nice. And totally something that you could see him doing. But you also knew that Helen probably had bigger plans. Her being unable to pay her rent had to be true, you did not like her in the slightest, but you also did not think of her as someone who only wanted to get some money from Lin.  
“(Y/N)?” Daveed asked, you had been quiet for a few seconds.  
“Yeah, still here. Anything else?”  
“Well, after he offered the loan she gave him a very long hug. To his defense, he looked uncomfortable, especially when he realized that we had seen and heard everything. He is currently in rehearsals, then we’ll have our Ham4Ham and after that he’ll be busy with the show. We just thought that you should know about this.”

“Thanks, guys, I appreciate it. I’ll get back to baking now,” you mumbled, still thinking about Helen.  
“Are you alright?”  
“Sure,” you answered and knew that Daveed did not believe you. He also did not pester you anymore, knowing that he would get nothing from you by doing that. You said your goodbyes to him and Jonathan, after promising to let them know if you felt like talking, and put your phone away.

Slightly disorganized, you began with the batter for the cupcakes and when your phone beeped again you knew that it was Lin. You really did not want to check the message, so you put it off until putting the cupcakes in the oven. You didn’t really know what you had expected. That he’d send you an explanation regarding what Daveed and Jonathan had told you? No, but you had expected something more than a thumbs up emoji, referring to the sugar flowers. You would definitely have to talk to him once he got back and it would not be pleasant.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back. Life and work won't be getting any less stressful, but thank you all so much for understanding. I'll try to keep updating, May will be even busier, so I'll try and get some writing done before that. Just to prepare you for slightly longer periods of me being silent. I promise to finish this story at some point though. Don't worry, not any time soon, but it is already SO long. I am baffled by this. Well, I'll stop talking (or rather writing) now, so let's get to the latest chapter! :)

It was a miracle that the cupcakes turned out to be decent. While preparing the frosting you thought about how to approach the topic of Lin’s loan. You knew that he was generous and open to help those around him, of course you did, after he had helped you with your brother. You now assumed that he did it because he had liked you from the beginning. Did he now like Helen too? Were you unfair because you were already beginning to accuse him? Probably.

You sighed and looked at the frosting. Originally, you had planned on adding sprinkles but now you just wanted to finish the cupcakes, so you quickly put the mixture into a piping bag and squeezed the frosting onto the now cool baked goods. They looked amazing, you had to admit that. At least one thing worked out that day.

Your phone had stayed silence since Lin’s emoji text. Maybe he already expected that you knew about his stunt and was waiting to talk to you when he came back? You pushed the tray full of cupcakes away from you. Feeling so upset about this without even hearing Lin’s side made you childish, you knew that. It didn’t change the fact that you continued to worry about it. You still had to wait two more hours, so you cooked yourself some noodles and took a shower. The time continued to crawl and making it go by faster did not work in the slightest.

Daveed texted you once the show was over, ‘Have you heard from him?’  
‘Only a thumbs up emoji. I sent him a picture of sugar flowers and he reacted to that. Did he seem weird?’  
You had time to cook some water for tea until your phone beeped again.  
‘He seems a bit concerned. I think he knows that he did something he wasn’t supposed to do.’  
Jonathan also sent a message, ‘I didn’t talk to him about it but he knows that I disapprove. I have a very expressive face.”

You had to smile, imagining Jonathan scowling at Lin during the break was simply too good. Daveed interrupted your thoughts with another message,   
‘We are leaving the theater now, so get ready. Stage door should not keep Lin too long, he has been out there for 25 minutes already. And since you two started dating for real, he is even more eager to get away from us. Text us after you talked to him!’

You put the phone away, sure, you were glad to read that Lin apparently really wanted to get home to you but you knew that you would have to talk about what was bugging you. During your shower, you had thought about letting it slide until tomorrow, but you could not act as if you did not know what he had done. That sounded worse than it actually was, but since you suspected Helen of having a hidden agenda, you simply needed to address the situation.

 

Daveed had been right, it only took about forty more minutes until you could hear the key in the apartment door’s lock. Your tea was gone, you had made some progress in the book you were currently reading (that was a lie you were telling yourself, you had reread the same page ten times by now), and not really ready for ‘the talk’.

Lin shuffled into the living room and you almost felt guilty for wanting to confront him, once again he looked tired. Which was normal, he had just completed a show and spent a good amount of time taking photos, writing autographs, and talking to people. He should be able to stay awake for a bit more.

When he noticed that you were staring at him he waved at you awkwardly.  
“Hey,” he said and you raised an eyebrow at him.  
“Right back at you. How was the show?” Let’s start slow.  
“Good, a little bit rushed at the beginning, Oak jumped one of his lines and we were all a bit out of it for a moment.”  
“And the rehearsals for Saturday?” You continued to ask as he took a seat next to you on the couch.

Lin kept thinking about his answer for a bit, so you looked him over. He was wearing one of his many hoodies, his slicked back hair in a ponytail.   
“It went alright. We still have to talk about a few things, which seems ridiculous since it’s not even about the interview itself,” he sighed and you wanted to reach out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. You didn’t though.

“Sounds ok,” you responded and looked out the window. Lin cleared his throat.  
“Huh?” You asked in response and now he was looking at you.  
“Listen, I know that you heard about the… thing with Helen. Wait, that sounds bad, there is nothing, obviously,” Lin stopped for a second and you waited for him to continue, curious about what he would say.

“What I meant to say was… the money thing. Jonathan must have told you. Or Daveed, they were both weird towards me after watching me and her. So…,” he was looking at you almost pleadingly.  
“I know that you lent her money without even knowing her for two days,” you muttered, sounding meaner than you had intended.  
“She told me that she had to pay back her student loan, a bigger amount than she had anticipated, and she still had to pay her share of the rent, which she owes her roommate.”  
“Owed you mean. You took care of that,” you responded and he began fidgeting next to you. You really wanted to get up but stayed seated.

“She was really upset.”  
“I can imagine. And I believe that she told you the truth, why shouldn’t she? But maybe you should realize that paying back student loan and rent are not things that come out of the blue.”  
“Come on, that’s mean. You know how life can get!” Lin protested.  
“I know, but don’t you think that it’s a bit suspicious?”

Lin groaned, “Are you talking about the whole ‘she’s flirting with you’ thing again?”  
“I am, is that so hard to believe? I really don’t want to throw in a Hamilton reference, but doesn’t that remind you of a certain song?”  
You could see that he wanted to laugh at you, lucky for him, he didn’t actually follow through with it.

“I appreciate your enthusiasm for my work, but this is not a ‘Say No to This’ situation. As much as I would love to believe that a lot of girls are falling for me, that’s simply not the truth (Y/N). She is nice. She was in trouble. And I do have the funds that allow me to help people. I would help you in a heartbeat.”  
“I know and I really like that about you Lin, but you also know me a bit longer than her. We are starting a relationship, that’s a completely different foundation,” you said, was he trying to make you mad?

“Also,” you continued, “there are more than a few girls that would love to have you by their side. You know that just look at Twitter. And Helen has a thing for you. I believe that she is in a bad position money-wise. But you are her boss, you could have just given her an advance or solved it another way. She will probably start being more daring now!”  
“You are seeing things,” Lin retorted, sounding tired but also a bit irritated.

“Lin, let’s be honest. It’s not like she cannot afford anything. She would have found a solution. I appreciate that you are nice, but I am worried about her. I can deal with the people on the internet but with someone in real life? Not so much. And I have to insist on the fact that you helped her with something she should have been able to take care of by herself.”

Lin did not even hesitate before he hit back, “As you did with your brother’s visit?”  
The moment it left his mouth he knew that it had been the wrong thing to say. You were staring at him, was he really using this against you now? The silence stretched between the two of you, you could almost hear the wheels whirring in his head, while you were searching for something to say in return. 

“That was different. And Daveed’s idea, and you agreed even though I did not want to do it in the beginning,” you said, slowly and quietly. You had been over this time and time again and Lin knew that.  
“Listen, (Y/N), shit, I am tired, I didn’t mean to bring that up-“ you interrupted him with a wave of your hand.  
“But you did. Being tired is not a good enough excuse, it must have been on your mind. And you know that that’s my sore spot, that I feel bad about forcing you into it.”

You really didn’t want to talk about it, it felt way too over the top to be this upset about it again. He was tired. He was probably annoyed too. But did he mean what he had just said? You could feel tears well up in your eyes and got up, Lin kept watching you, looking helpless. You had finally accepted that he had not minded at all, not even in the beginning while playing along with you during your brother’s visit. You still believed it, but after worrying about Helen the whole day, you felt vulnerable.

“I’ll just… go to sleep. I’ll take the guest bedroom, I need to be alone for a bit,” you explained and when Lin opened his mouth to respond, you beat him to it.  
“I know you don’t believe me about Helen. Still… I worry about not being good enough for you, constantly. The women you work with are amazing, the women following you on Twitter are, mostly, amazing, and funny, and witty. And… I know that you probably did not mean what you said, but I am hurt. I worry so much and every time I think it gets better something knocks me down again. I need to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow. There are cupcakes in the kitchen.”

You did not give him a chance to respond and hoped that he would not follow you. He knew you well by now since he stayed in the living room. Instead of doing anything else, like going back and trying to talk to him again, you entered the guest bedroom and let yourself fall on the still made bed. It smelled too clean and wasn’t inviting, you were already missing sleeping next to Lin. 

You had not bothered to turn on the lights and decided to just try and sleep. You still had to text back Daveed, but only told him that you would tell him more tomorrow. After that, you put your phone away and crawled under the bed’s covers. The tears that had threatened to fall in the living room were now rolling down your cheeks, not many but a few. 

Hearing Lin talk about the fact that you could have easily taken care of Stephan hurt you. It was as if he had ripped open an old wound of doubt that had been carefully sealed after the weekend with your brother and Diane. Lin’s shocked face had revealed that he himself had not expected what had come out of his mouth. That consoled you a bit. Still, hearing it hurt and you sighed into the cushion you were lying on. Helen did not help in this situation but that was something that would have to rest while you came to terms with the other thing. You would have to talk again, simply because you were not ready to throw away what had been constantly growing between you. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day.

 

When you woke up on Friday morning the sun was shining brightly. You must have slept for quite some time for when you checked your phone, Daveed had bombarded you with messages. You also checked the time, it was 10 am and you were not too keen to get up, the argument from yesterday still fresh in your memory, so you opened your messages.

‘Ok, so what has happened?’ - ‘Am I going to get an answer?’ - ‘Did something horrible happen?!’ - ‘(Y/N)?!’  
It reminded you of his flood of messages from the morning on which Lin had posted the sleeping picture of you. Thinking about what to write back was a tricky topic. You wanted to tell Daveed everything but you also did not want to make it hard for him and Lin to work together. So you settled on a simple, ‘Still have to talk to Lin about a few things. Yesterday was a bit of a bad one, we are still (should you write fighting? Probably not) struggling. But I hope that it will pass.’

Daveed almost immediately got back to you.  
‘Ok, I really want you to be ok again, you hear me? I am rooting for you. And I hope he’ll come to his senses. But if you need me to beat him up, let me know!”  
You chuckled, hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that.  
‘Roger that. Thank you Daveed, you really are the best!’  
‘I know. Love you too.’

You put the phone away and stretched. The smell of coffee was already spreading through the apartment and you knew that you could not resist it. One thing that puzzled you was that you couldn’t hear anything, no footsteps, no mumbling, and no quiet singing - all the things Lin did on a daily basis. You quickly put on your socks and left the guest bedroom, you had grown worried about the lack of, well, life around the apartment.

He wasn’t in the living room and when you walked back into the hallway you realized that his coat and shoes were missing. Not his scarf, it was still draped over a chair, he must have forgotten it. Or not found it and simply left without it. Why had he left? You could feel an anxious knot beginning to build in your stomach, maybe he wanted you to leave and had left to not be a part of it?

You walked to the kitchen, you could still drink a coffee, right? When you entered you immediately spotted a small plate with one of the cupcakes you had made the day before. A coffee cup was waiting next to it and you took a seat. The coffee was still semi-hot and you also noticed a sealed envelope that was leaning against one of the vases on the table. The scrawly handwriting suggested that Lin had written it. You took a small sip of coffee and opened the envelope, luckily he had been trying to write a bit more legible when it came to the letter.

‘Good morning (Y/N),  
First of all, I have to be honest, I am not around because I still feel really bad about what happened yesterday. A letter won’t solve this, I know, especially since I seem to have run out of my wittiness when it comes to words. All I can say, or rather write (how was it possible that the man was even rambling in a letter?!), is that I am sorry. To be honest, I still cannot really understand why you think that Helen is trying to flirt with me but rest assured that I am not interested in her, at all. I realize that what I did was dumb and I will sort it out with Helen. But I also know that there is something even more idiotic that I have done. I am referring to the thing I said yesterday, that you could have simply handled your brother. I know how much you struggled with the idea that I was somehow forced into doing the charade with you. As I have assured you numerous times by now, I wanted to do it. Simply, because I instantly liked you.’

You took a break while reading, to drink more of your coffee and to calm down your heart, it was beating quickly against your ribcage. The letter was a sweet idea and you kept reading while nibbling on the cupcake.

‘I did not want to hurt you. And I know that I did, which makes me seem pretty bad, we haven’t even been dating for that long and I already ruined it. At least that’s how I feel. I realize that we will have to talk about it, particularly your worries about not being enough. You are enough, which you should probably have heard from me in real life. You can if you want to. I would understand if you want to have some time, or even, in the worst case, leave. I would understand, but I’d be devastated. So, in a pathetic attempt at getting another shot at apologizing, I wanted to remind you of the promised date. It is an awkward thing to bring up right now, but I will be at the coffee shop two blocks from where you are sitting now, I have attached the address at the end of the letter, at one pm. If you want to come, I would be happy, even if it is just to tell me off. I hope it’s not that. I’ll stop this letter now because I could go on for page after page and I don’t think that you would appreciate reading that. 

Thinking of you, and of how much of an idiot I am,  
Lin’

You had begun to smile, even though you were still feeling weary about the whole situation. The letter had made you feel better, which was probably due to the fact that he had understood why you were hurt. You also felt as if he was chastising himself too much. Most of all, you were relieved that he did not want you to leave. You wanted to stay, to try and talk about everything, and to get back to where you were. You still had two hours and according to Google maps, you only had to walk a few minutes to get to the café. It was a small shop, loved by locals if Yelp was to believe, so something completely normal for Lin to go for.

You let Daveed know that you would talk to Lin and try and reconcile with him. He replied that it sounded like the adult thing to do, so you began getting ready. Showering took you a little longer than before, mostly because you kept thinking about what to say and the fact that you were already missing Lin. Helen would probably continue to be an issue for you, but you decided to let it rest for now.

After getting out of the shower you spent a considerable amount of time trying to cover up the remnants of your black eye. The bruise had gotten a bit lighter, which made you happy, but it was still a pain to get it covered. You stopped trying after ten minutes and continued with a light and natural makeup, no need to impress the man and you did not want to seem as if you were trying too hard.

Drying and styling your hair took another 15 minutes, with you rehearsing what to say as if you were prepping for a trial. You shook your head at yourself, this was getting ridiculous. Yes, you really needed to sort out what had happened, but it wasn’t as if one of you had killed someone. Still, you would have to tell him that you were hurt and that would not be fun, for you or him.

Getting dressed did not take you too long, you did not have a lot of clothes at Lin’s after all. You settled on a simple pair of jeans and the turtleneck you had worn on your trip to the theater. Putting on perfume was the last step in getting ready and you were astonished that you had almost used up the whole two hours. Before getting ready to leave you quickly tidied the kitchen, realizing that two cupcakes were missing, Lin must have eaten them. Which was fine, they had been for him after all.

While putting on your jacket, you decided to take Lin’s scarf with you, he probably needed it. You also realized that he must have been extremely nervous by now since he did not know if you would show up. Your nerves had begun to act up too, your hands were shaking slightly as you buttoned up your coat. Taking a deep breath calmed you down a bit and after one last look at your phone, to check where you had to go, you left the apartment.

It was a nice day outside, really cold, but the sun was still shining and you liked how crisp the air had gotten. Walking to the café really did not take too long and you already spotted it from a few feet away. It looked busy, but also cozy and you bet that the coffee was amazing. It had to be since Lin would not have chosen that spot to meet for your date. 

The closer you got to the café, the more details you could make out. They apparently also offered cake and pastries, which you liked. Another thing you spotted was Lin. He was pacing anxiously in front of the shop and did not immediately catch sight of you. He was wearing his coat, shivering slightly in the cold, probably due to the lack of his scarf. He was wearing a hat though and, from the looks of it, had not put his hair into a bun before that, you could clearly see his long hair from underneath the beanie. 

Once you got closer to the café, Lin turned around and finally noticed you. Your heart sunk when you realized how relieved he looked, he must have really thought that you wouldn’t show up. He took a tentative step towards you.  
“Hey…”  
Lin obviously hadn’t slept through the night. Maybe not at all. You handed him the scarf and he took it from you.  
“You forgot that,” you added, in the absence of something better. He nodded and nervously began wringing the scarf between his hands.

“So.. you came,” he sounded vulnerable and you once again had to fight the urge to simply hug him. In your mind, you already knew that you would try and talk about everything so that you could continue your journey with him.  
“I did. I had to, after that letter.”  
“It got a bit too long,” Lin was looking at his feet and you smiled slightly.  
“Would not have expected anything else from the guy who wrote a musical about the one man that wrote like a maniac.”

Lin looked up again and returned your smile.   
“I really liked it,” you added and it visibly relaxed him. You continued to stand in front of each other, waiting for the other to say something. After clearing his throat, Lin gestured to the door of the café.  
“Shall we go in? It’s really cold out here and I need coffee.”  
You nodded, “Me too. When I got up the coffee you made was almost cold.”

“The scandal!” Lin got back to his funny side for a short second and you nodded.  
“I still drank it, it was good,” you explained and he held open the door for you. The coffee shop was packed and before ordering, you had to find a place to sit. You noticed that a couple kept looking at Lin, who was busy finding two empty seats, and when they realized that you were watching them you simply gave them a smile. You didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.

“Found something!” Lin declared and you sat down in a corner of the shop. It was a bit more secluded, which was good if you wanted to talk.  
“What do you want? I’ll get the coffee,” Lin explained and took off his coat and hat. He was indeed wearing his hair open, but quickly put it into a bun, without the hat it apparently bothered him. What surprised you was that he had put on a pair of jeans that was slightly less baggy than his normal ones, combined with a dark gray sweater. He looked good, you had to admit that. 

“I’ll just take a latte,” you said and took off your coat too. Lin nodded and his eyes stayed fixed on the turtleneck. Right, the last time you had worn that you had been interrupted during a make-out session by Daveed. Lin must have thought of that too since he had to quickly shake his head to get back to the present.  
“Uhh… I’ll be back in a bit. Don’t run away!”  
“I won’t,” you promised and watched him walk up to the counter. Talking about your argument would be challenging for you, it felt easy to open up to Lin but you were still unsure about what to say. But you knew that you would try to make it work somehow, otherwise you would lose the first really good thing that had happened to you in years. And you were not ready for that.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with a longer chapter. Hope you enjoy it! :)

Lin returned after five minutes, carrying two cups in his hands and setting one of them down in front of you.  
“A Latte for the Lady.”  
“Thank you,” you replied and pulled the cup towards you, immediately adding sugar to it. Lin watched you tear apart three packets of sugar.  
“You sure you want some coffee with that sugar?”  
“Careful,” you advised him and he gave you a smile that made your heart flutter. Ok, falling for someone was definitely more stressful than you had anticipated. Even when you were mad at him.

Lin began watching the people on the street, so you finally cleared your throat to indicate that you were ready to talk. He turned back to you and once again you realized that he probably had not really slept at all. He was a bit paler than usual and sported phenomenal dark circles. He took a sip from his coffee and since you did not want to spend any more time saying nothing to each other you finally spoke up.

“So… regarding yesterday,” before you could finish, Lin jumped in.  
“I am so sorry. I really am. I should not have said what I have said. I did not want to make you feel bad and I know that I did. It was cruel and I am so much more disappointed in myself because at that moment I wanted to be mean. It was uncalled for and… I don’t know what to say. I am really sorry. I was an ass”

You sat opposite him, taken aback for a moment, the words had just come tumbling out of his mouth. Lin began to play with the handle of his cup, staring at the table. You had never seen him so nervous and, to be honest, it almost scared you. He was usually easygoing, maybe a bit shy from time to time, but this was a completely new side to him. Not a bad one obviously, but one you should probably take into account from time to time.

“Lin?” You asked and he looked up at you, furrowing his brows.  
“Yeah?”  
“I am not here to make you feel worse than right now, I can see that you have been beating yourself up over this. But I have to explain what I felt, alright?”  
Oh wow, you sounded suspiciously grown-up. Lin nodded and took a deep breath.

“I don’t want to talk about Helen right now. She is a touchy topic for me, so please keep that in mind. My brother… well, as I said, I just came to terms with you wanting to do this whole thing with me. I don’t want to go over it again and again, your letter made it kinda clear that you chose to help me, so I am willing to believe that. I will continue to struggle with you doing nice things for me, I am just not a person that believes people do things without wanting anything in return or simply because they are good people. I only ever knew a few people that this applied to, Cat is someone who has grown closer to me, Daveed of course, and lately, you.”

Lin gave you a thoughtful nod and you continued, “That’s why I am always so insecure. I know that I can trust you but sometimes I just… can’t. If that makes sense? When Daveed and Jonathan told me what had happened I immediately started questioning what has been building between us. It’s kind of pathetic, I know..”  
You trailed off and Lin reached for your hand. He stopped in front of it but when you did not pull it back, he interlaced his fingers with yours and gave your hand a gentle squeeze.

“It’s not pathetic,” he whispered, it was hard to hear him over the noise of the coffee shop.  
“It kind of is Lin,” you retorted and continued before he could say anything else, “That’s why I get so… over the top when I think that someone might be interested in you. I cannot help it and I know that it’s not really attractive. The fact is that you are not as undesirable as you want to make me believe. People are fawning all over you and that’s ok. It just makes me feel insecure and as I said, I always feel like I have to compete with others, or even you. I have always been the weird one in my family, the one that would never live up to Stephan. I should probably talk to him about this.”

“You definitely should. Maybe Thanksgiving is a good opportunity for that,” Lin said and you nodded.  
“Probably. I also know that you are so much more successful than me. And that’s ok, that actually made me… well, like you (you had not said too much, phew).”  
This time, Lin could not hide his smile and you raised an eyebrow at him.  
“What?” You asked and he shrugged.  
“I like that you still like me. And that my success had something to do with it. That might be something that makes me a bit unattractive but I cannot lie. I really liked that you kinda fangirled in the beginning.”

“Oh wow,” you breathed and both of you smiled. The situation suddenly felt easier and you were flabbergasted that this was going so well. It really was a long time ago that you had a mature discussion with someone you were seeing. Or maybe you never really had one of those. Lin looked out the window, still holding your hand, he seemed to think about what to say next. You waited for him, you definitely had said enough at this moment. He finally looked back to you.

“I just want to clarify something. I understand why you feel the way you do. And I am sorry that I sometimes act as if I am making fun of you being insecure. What I can tell you right now is that I am not planning on breaking up with you. I like you, a lot. You don’t have to compete with anyone, may it be Helen or one of the people on Twitter or outside the theater. I am not interested in anyone else. You are more than enough and I want to make you realize that. I don’t know how but I am willing to explore every option that comes up. Does that reassure you a bit?”

You thought about it. It did, to be honest. You knew that you would never get rid of your insecurity, maybe it would be less of a burden from time to time, and you told him as much.  
“I think I feel a bit calmer. You will have to deal with me questioning things though. I just feel that being with you is a good thing I achieved and if I were to lose you I would be fine in the long run, but I would also feel like you would be left with so many choices and I would probably have none? Does that make sense?”

“Uh… yeah, it does. Also, just to drive that home, you just described how I would feel in that situation ?!” Lin cocked his head and you looked at him, taken aback.  
“Wait, what?”  
“I do understand what you are telling me, but let me say something. I am amazed that you have even endured me until now. I am loud, I can be very very annoying. I am never home, I work weird hours. I lock myself away for hours at a time to work on a project. I am obsessed with numerous things, TV shows, movies, soundtracks, music and stuff like that. You have not experienced most of this but it will show up. My family and I are very close, you will see them constantly. I can be a pain in the ass, I live on Twitter and I am obnoxious. That’s not really dream man potential. Most people only see the cool and kind of successful (you scoffed at that) Lin, but when they get to know me they quickly shy away from my personality!”

He smiled slightly but you could see that this was something he had struggled with often. This time it was you who squeezed his hand.  
“I think it’s kind of hilarious that we are both worrying so much. Rest assured, for now, I am not planning to leave you for any of these things.”  
“Not even if I cut these luscious locks?”  
“Not even if that happens. We are both weird, aren’t we?” You asked and he chuckled.  
“I would say so,” he finally agreed and took a sip from his coffee. His eyes met yours again and you could sense his nervousness.  
“What are you thinking about?” You asked and he shrugged.  
“I am thinking that I am an ass for what I said yesterday.”

You sighed, “It’s ok Lin. I understand that you regret it. There will be many times when I will probably start being mean to you, for now, I am still a bit in awe that this worked out so well!”  
“You and me both. I don’t know how I managed to get such a gorgeous girlfriend.”  
You could feel yourself blush and, in a very corny gesture, Lin pulled your interlocked hands towards him and pressed a kiss to the back of your hand. You giggled and noticed an older couple that was looking at you with a smile.

“Can we stop arguing now?” You asked and Lin grinned.  
“I think we handled that in a very mature way, didn’t we? Almost no arguing involved. We argue more over movies,” he exclaimed and you nodded. He was right and you were thankful that almost everything felt so easy around him. That would hopefully make it easier for you to get through Thanksgiving. You suddenly remembered something, completely irrelevant to your conversation from before. Lin noticed your rushed intake of air.

“Everything alright?”  
“I just remembered that I don’t have a dress for Thanksgiving. None of the ones I own will please my mother. Oh god,” you were almost tempted to pull out your phone and start scrolling through various online stores. Lin had let go of your hand and leaned back in his chair, looking smug.  
“I might have a solution,” he began and you raised an eyebrow at him.  
“What kind of solution? You have it easy, just wear a suit!”  
“That’s probably the moment in which I can tell you that I had to take my best suit to a tailor to make it fit better. I don’t really own a lot of well-fitting fancy things. Shocking, right?”

You both laughed, but you were not convinced that he could help you.  
“So… what does that have to do with me?”  
“I might have organized a little something. Before my dresser went on her holiday I gave her a small assignment. Which she gave to another tailor. And I can probably get that to the theater today if you are interested?”  
“I don’t know what you are talking about, but I am in!”

You really did not know what this was about but you were ready to be surprised. Lin had finished his coffee and you were almost ready, too. The clock told you that he had to be at the theater soon anyways. He still looked worn-out.

“Did you sleep at all?” You asked.  
“Would you believe me if I said at least three hours?”  
“Less than THREE hours?” You shrieked. This time the older couple gave you an annoyed look. You quickly grew quiet again, “Three hours Lin? How are you even awake?”  
“I might have already drunk my weight in coffee beans?” Lin’s casual remark made you sigh.  
“You have to take better care of yourself. I don’t need someone from the theater calling me that you broke down on stage.”

“That won’t happen,” Lin promised and you shook your head.  
“It better not.”  
“I promise, ok?”  
You finished your coffee and stretched. You probably could not convince the man to sleep longer, but you would try. There had to be a solution to this and you were ready to find it.

“Shall we get going? I just texted the tailor, the package will arrive soon!”  
You once again felt excitement awaken within you and nodded eagerly.  
“Let’s go. I wanted to talk to Daveed anyhow,” you explained and Lin slipped into his coat.  
“Will he kill me?” He asked and you stopped while buttoning your own coat.  
“No, why?”  
“He is your best friend, duh?”  
“I didn’t tell him about what we said to each other, so you should be safe.”

“Thank god,” Lin muttered and you smiled. If you had told Daveed, he probably would give Lin a hard time. But you had talked about it, so there was no need to. You exited the café after giving the mugs back to the barista and the cold New York air enveloped you immediately.  
“I guess I should say thank you for bringing the scarf. Otherwise, I would freeze to death!” Lin shivered next to you and you laughed.  
“You wouldn’t freeze so quickly. We can huddle together if you want to?” 

Your suggestion was immediately met with Lin putting an arm around your shoulder and you snuggled up to him so that you did not take up too much space on the sidewalk.  
“Let’s take the subway to the theater ok?” Lin checked and you nodded. Probably the best idea and when you walked down the stairs to the platform he kept on holding your hand, never separating from you even as you sat down inside the train. You didn’t mind and put your head on his shoulder.

“I am glad that we talked,” Lin whispered and you nodded thoughtfully. You were too. It was also good that he had told you about his insecurities, you had never really thought about that.  
“Why are you quiet?” Lin asked and you looked up to him.  
“Just thinking about what you told me. I never really thought about the things you are insecure about. I just assumed that you were at peace with yourself.”  
“I usually am. But I am still human, so I do worry. And I worried a great deal about you lately. And then I began to worry about all the things I could do wrong. And then I did one of the things.”

He sighed and you stretched to press a kiss to his cheek.  
“As I said, it’s ok. We talked about it. Stop worrying. I won’t hold it against you.”  
“What did I do to deserve you? Remind me?”  
“You did play my pretend boyfriend and took care of me, but you are also really cool,” you said and he laughed heartily.  
“I believed you until the really cool part!” Lin chuckled and you sat up straight.  
“I mean it!” You protested and he silenced you with a kiss. You smiled into the feeling of his lips on yours, happy to be back at this point.

When you reached your stop, Lin pulled you up the stairs, he seemed to be eager to get to the theater. Some people were waiting for him when you arrived, but he promised them to get back soon. You gave the fans an apologetic smile and turned to Lin when you were inside the building.  
“You will get back to them right?”  
“Of course! But I need to check if your delivery has arrived!”

You shook your head at his enthusiasm but followed him. A few people were already around, you spotted Renée and waved at her. She was busy on her phone, talking to someone, but returned the gesture. You knew that Daveed would not have arrived by now, you had let him know that you would be at the theater and he replied that he was still busy with planning the dreaded brunch. He would probably arrive shortly before the show was about to start, but you could talk during the break.

The way to Lin’s dressing room was familiar to you by now and when you arrived he frantically looked around the room.  
“It seems as if we are a bit too early for the delivery?”  
Before you could reply anything there was a knock on the door. A young man pocked his head into the room.  
“I have a package for you Lin? I told you to not order anything to the theater, things get lost all the time!”

“Sorry, sorry. It’s a special delivery though,” Lin explained and the man shook his head at him, exasperated.  
“You had issues with ordering things to the theater before?” You asked and he smiled sheepishly.  
“I might have lost some important things because of that. But who cares, this one arrived and I am very happy about that! Now, take off your coat and get ready for the best surprise there is!”

You smiled and followed his instructions. He was still dressed in his outside clothes, which you pointed out.  
“I still have to go out and take care of our loyal fans. But I want to see your face when you open the box!”  
He presented you with the talked about object and you began to open the main package. There was another box inside, with the tailor’s emblem on it. The box was rather big and you had difficulties getting it out of the package. Lin helped you and you finally put it on the small table in the corner.

Lin was already squealing with excitement behind you and you laughed.  
“Lin, one would think you are more excited about this than I am!”  
“I haven’t seen it yet!” He explained and walked over to you, watching you open the box. Whatever was inside it was still obscured by tissue paper. You carefully pulled the paper away and stared at what was revealed with an open mouth.

“Lin, you didn’t?!” Now you were the one with the squeaky voice.  
“It does fit that I was able to show this to you today, right? After yesterday?”  
“I… Wow…,” you stammered and pulled the garment out of the box.  
It was a beautiful dress, very understated, it reminded you of something that Audrey Hepburn would have worn. It had three-quarter length sleeves, the neckline wasn’t too scandalous, and it would probably end shortly beneath your knees. The skirt looked as if it would effortlessly swirl around your legs, not too tight but also not too full.

In general, the dress was not overly fancy. It was tailored in a clear-cut way but looked extremely well-made. What took the cake was the fabric it was made out of. It was the same full green that Lin wore every night on stage. Said man had observed you for however long you had needed to wrap your head around what was happening.

“Before you ask, yes. It’s the same fabric. Apparently, it was quite easy to make a dress out of it, the fabric itself has a lot of stability and worked great with the cut that was chosen. Not by me, mind you. I only described your style.”  
“Lin that’s… I cannot accept this. It’s too much!” You protested and he shook his head.  
“I want you to have it. I went through a lot of trouble for this. Locating the fabric was hard and I had to steal the dress you wore on your first theater visit from your closet to make sure that it would fit you. That was actually easy since you never asked for your keys back after I went and got some things for you. I stopped at your apartment before work after we came to the conclusion to go to the Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Sneaky,” you commented and continued to look at the dress. It was phenomenal.  
“How about you try it on while I go back out there and take some pictures? I hate to say it, but if it isn’t completely right you can ask Helen to alter it.”  
You nodded slowly, no need to act weird, she was working in the department after all.  
“I will. Lin?”  
He was already halfway through the door and you walked up to him.  
“Yeah?”  
“Thank you so much!” You gave him a quick kiss and squealed in delight when your eyes fell back on the dress.

“I’ll leave you alone with that. For now,” Lin grinned and pulled the door closed behind him. You went back to the middle of the room and quickly peeled yourself out of your clothes, the dress was just waiting to be put on. It was surprisingly easy to do this by yourself, the zipper was on the side, so someone had thought this through, probably a woman. When you closed the dress you were surprised at how well it fit. As you had expected, it came down to your knees and clung to you in all the right places. You did a little twirl, the skirt moved with you and you laughed. That had been an amazing surprise and extremely thoughtful of Lin. 

You continued looking at yourself in the mirror, already planning the rest of your outfit around the dress when the door opened again. You spun around, expecting to see Lin again. In retrospect, that would have been weird since he had not been gone for that long. Instead of your boyfriend, Helen was standing in the doorway, looking at you questioningly.

“Oh… sorry, I was looking for Lin,” she said, slowly. You remembered that she did not know that you knew about her and Lin’s money business, so you decided to play nice. You had promised Lin.  
“Hey Helen, no, he is busy writing autographs,” you replied and Helen nodded.  
“Right, I just needed to check something.”  
Probably the money.

Helen continued looking at you and when she realized this, she quickly followed up with, “That’s a nice dress, why does it seem familiar?”  
“It’s the same fabric as Hamilton’s green ensemble. Lin was so kind and ordered it for me, will be great for Thanksgiving when he’ll meet my parents,” you knew that she did not need that much context, but you wanted to drive home that he was very much yours. 

“That sounds… great. I’ll check in later, see you,” with that she was gone and you kept looking at the door, expecting her to return and say something else. That did not happen, so you turned around to look at yourself in the mirror again. Maybe Helen had been put off for at least a bit now. You twirled once again, the dress really was lovely. Afterwards, you took it off again, deciding that you would not show Lin how it looked on you until Thanksgiving. Carefully, you put it back into the box and sealed it, afraid to damage it. Now you only had to wait for Lin.

He returned after another 15 minutes, cheeks, nose, and ears red from the cold.  
“I am back! Wait… didn’t you want to try on the dress?”  
“I did,” you got up and walked over to him, “But I decided to show it to you on Thanksgiving. It fit very well, so thank you so much again!”  
“You’re welcome. I am excited to see it!”

Lin took off his coat and put it over one of the chairs in his dressing room. He then sat down, rubbing his face again. He was obviously still tired, you did not believe him that he had slept three hours, probably only two. You followed him and sat down next to him, waiting for Lin to talk about something, he usually delivered.

“I am tired,” were the first words he uttered, yawning and you put your hand on his. Squeezing it made him look at you, his head resting against the backrest of couch you were sitting on.  
“I know. Just get through the show and after that, you can sleep.”  
“But not really long. We have a two-show day tomorrow… and that interview.” 

You put your head on his shoulder, interlacing your fingers with his. He had moved your hands so that they were now resting on his thigh.  
“Well, I can take care of breakfast tomorrow, then you can sleep until the last possible minute?”  
“That sounds divine,” Lin said and wiggled his hand free from yours, probably to rub his eyes again.

You let your hand rest on his thigh, absentmindedly drawing circles with your thumb, as you had done on the back of his hand a few seconds before. You both fell into a comfortable silence, you dwelling on thoughts, while Lin was probably dreaming of taking a nap. Your mind wandered to work, you would be back on Monday and had to start on a new wedding cake immediately. Actually, the one for which you had practiced the sugar flowers.

Lin shifted next to you, which took your mind off of work. You looked up to him.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“Uh…” Lin gestured to your hand, which was still on his thigh. Instead of continuing the circles on his thigh, you had begun to firmly massage his leg muscles.  
“Oh, sorry,” you withdrew your hand and Lin cleared his throat.

“It’s alright. That was actually kind of nice.”  
You cocked your head to the side, Lin followed your movement, mirroring it. You did not know where your courage came from, but you heard yourself utter the words,  
“I know something else that can be nice.”  
Lin raised an eyebrow at you, interest showing clearly on his face.

You pushed yourself up and his look turned from interested to one of confusion. You quickly assumed the position you had once been in in this very dressing room and took a seat on his lap. Realization dawned on his face.  
“Oh, I see,” he whispered and slid his arms around your waist, holding you tightly against him.

Before you could say something in return, he leaned forward and captured your lips with his, kissing you gently. Immediately, you returned the kiss, parting his lips with your tongue, dancing with his. Your hands found their way into his hair, massaging his scalp, which earned you a low grunt from the man underneath you. 

Lin broke away from the kiss and smirked at you. His arms were still wrapped tightly around you and he pulled you closer, whispering into your ear.  
“Who would have thought that we would be getting on so well after this morning?”  
You mirrored his smirk.  
“If you don’t shut up about it, I will stop!”  
“My lips are sealed,” Lin breathed against your ear and you felt a shiver run down your spine.

You stared at each other for a few seconds, Lin’s eyes had grown even darker if that was possible. He moved your hair out of the way and pulled down your turtleneck collar, to pepper your neck with kisses, his beard scratching against your skin. You tilted your head back, to make it easier for him, feeling as if you were only now beginning to really wake up.

Lin did not come up for air anytime soon, so you let your hands wander to the hem of his sweater, carefully pushing your hands underneath the fabric. He was not wearing an undershirt, which, only for a moment, made you wonder how he wasn’t sick by now, but you pushed that thought to the back of your head. Your hands were still a bit cold, so Lin flinched when you touched his skin.

He let go of you, “Woah, your hands are cold!”  
“Sorry,” you shrugged and smiled at him, catching your lower lip between your teeth.  
“You will be the death of me,” Lin proclaimed and pulled you closer to him again. His hands now wandered to the hem of your turtleneck and he slowly peeled it away from your skin. When you did not protest, he made quick work of the garment and you helped him push it over your head. He once again pressed you against him, begging you closer.

This time you really threw your head back as his lips found their way back to your neck, gently sucking the sensitive skin. You would probably really need that turtleneck tomorrow. Lin lowered his head and pressed a lingering kiss against your collarbone. After that he looked up at you again, gazing at you suggestively. This time you pulled him against you, crashing your lips against his. You kissed over and over, mouths hot against each other. 

You suddenly remembered that you were sitting on his lap and experimentally rocked your hips against his. He was definitely enjoying this as much as you, his breath hitched and he suddenly wasn’t as invested into the kiss anymore. You repeated the movement, feeling him growing more excited against you. One of your hands found its way back into his hair and you pulled lightly on the strands that were in your fingers.

Now it was Lin’s turn to put his head back, you smiled to yourself and leaned down. You liked this as much as he did, especially as he uttered a low moan as you pressed a kiss to his throat. Your lips wandered up his neck until you reached his ear.  
“We’re still at the theater,” you whispered and he turned his head to you, his mouth hovering close to yours.  
“I really don’t care,” you could hear how breathless he had become, which only made you more eager to continue your make-out session.

Lin’s hands caressed the sides of your body, skimming just under where your bra ended. You could feel your skin react to this and shivered delicately. Lin grinned, obviously pleased that he was the one that could cause this reaction.  
“Do you want to stop?” He asked, pressing a kiss against your jaw.  
“No…” you slowly said and felt him chuckle against you. Maybe you should just let go completely?

Fate took that decision from you. While you let your fingers slowly travel down Lin’s still clothed torso, towards the waistband of his pants, you were interrupted by a persistent knock on the door. Lin’s eyes grew big and you quickly tried to get off his lap.  
“Just a second!” You managed to yell, pulling your turtleneck back over your head with panic-fueled efficiency. Lin quickly put his hair back into a ponytail and frantically looked around.

“What are you looking for?” You asked and he gave you an almost exasperated look.  
“Obviously something to put on my lap!” His stage whisper was almost funny if he had not been deadly serious. You chuckled and tossed him a blanket, in which he enveloped himself. After checking with you again he finally raised his voice.  
“Come in!”

You immediately recognized Daveed’s hair and Lin let out a loud groan when your best friend entered the dressing room.  
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! Every time!”  
Daveed was confused by Lin’s outburst and gave you a questioning look.  
“Hello to you too Lin. I was just wondering if I could borrow (Y/N) for a second?”  
“I’ll be out in a bit!”, you promised and after shaking his head at Lin, who was still glaring at Daveed, your friend decided to wait in the hallway.

You got up, still feeling wobbly on your feet and leaned down to Lin, who continued to sit on the sofa.  
“Don’t be such a sourpuss,” you mumbled and he grunted.  
“I am not.”  
“We can continue this later?” You suggested and he looked up at you.  
“I’ll remind you of that!” He then said and you gave him another kiss, still reminiscent of the kisses you had shared a few minutes ago.

“Now go and have fun with Daveed. I’ll… read a book,” Lin mumbled and you laughed. Men were really something else.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for bearing with me guys. I'll have a lot of work things going on during the next two weeks. I might be able to update once during those 14 days (I already feel bad about that), but if I'll manage to do that it will most likely be a shorter one. I am very sorry, but... I'll try :)
> 
> Thank you all so much for the neverending support!

Your best friend was indeed waiting in front of Lin’s dressing room door and sheepishly looked up when you closed the door behind you.  
“Hey,” you said and he chuckled.  
“Hey, so… I did interrupt again, didn’t I?”  
“Well… Lin’s swearing kind of gave it away. Your turtleneck is also on backward.”

You quickly turned the garment around again, feeling your face grow hot.  
“I guess you caught us.”  
“I just wanted to make sure that everything is alright between the two of you again but that just confirmed my suspicion. Still very much in loooove,” Daveed winked at you and you rolled your eyes.  
“I wouldn’t say in love, but yes, we did talk about our argument like adults. Just a heads up though, I decided to back down regarding Helen, but please continue to keep an eye on her.”

Daveed crossed his arms and nodded thoughtfully.  
“I’ll make sure to know what’s going on. Regarding the love thing, just wait. In a few weeks, you two will be even more nauseating, once you realize that you are very much head over heels in love with that man in there. As I said before, I don’t get it but I am happy for you. And Lin, he needs someone who takes care of him.”

You smiled at your friend, “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”  
“Just doing my best friend duty. Talking about best friend duties, what about that cake you promised me?”  
Right, you had talked about that.  
“I will prepare one for you. On Monday, the bakery delivery guy can bring it to your apartment! What kind of cake do you want?”  
Daveed quickly thought about it.  
“We settled for something traditional, so maybe a red velvet? Brunch will be savory enough and after digesting that for some time, we will move on to cake.”

“Red velvet it is. Anything else?”  
“Someone seems eager to get back inside that room!”  
You huffed, “You were the one that interrupted us. Do you want to know details?”  
Daveed grimaced, “Please, I don’t want to have nightmares.”

You took a step towards him, “You really don’t want to know more? I could tell you about the kissing, where my hands were—“  
“STOP!” Daveed let out a high-pitched scream and you laughed out loud. It was really easy to make him uncomfortable and you knew how to use this against him.  
“Alright, so… I will get back to my boyfriend and you should probably start getting ready,” you said and Daveed shook his head at you.  
“You are the devil. I’ll talk to you later!”

Your friend quickly made his way down the hallway and you once again entered the dressing room behind you. Lin had changed positions, he was now lying on the couch, scrolling through his phone.  
“What did he want?” He still sounded annoyed.  
“Just checking in, and we settled on a cake. I forgot that I promised to bake one.”

Lin put his phone away and bopped up, “So that’s why he interrupted us. Again, if I may add. This is getting ridiculous.”  
You couldn’t help but smile and leaned against the make-up table.  
“Lin, we should probably not do this in the theater. You do have an apartment, you know? I do too. Which reminds me, I will have to return at some point.”

“Are you and Daveed trying to make me miserable today?” Lin groaned and you shrugged.  
“It’s what has to happen. I am renting that apartment after all. Would be a pity to not use it.”  
“I don’t want to go back to being Mr. Creepy, so I won’t suggest us moving in together. For now.”  
You knew that it would be weird to move in together after dating for just… well, only a week, but you still smiled at him, especially after he brought up Mr. Creepy. Lin returned the smile.

“So let’s not talk about that now. You will definitely have to spend a few days at my apartment soon though. So you can have a change of scenery.”  
Lin had gotten up while you were talking and drew nearer to you.  
“Sounds like a plan,” he replied and leaned down to give you a kiss. It lasted for more than just a few seconds, but this time, he let go of you.

“We really have to continue this later. The show will start soon, and I still need to get ready.”  
“What a pity,” you said, watching Lin pull out the hairband from his ponytail. His hair fell down and he shook his head, already getting annoyed at the strands that were starting to bother him. You chuckled but before you could say anything, there was another knock at the door.

It was Helen again and immediately, the temperature shifted. You looked from her to Lin and he, in turn, gave you a quick ‘Please be nice’ look. You low-key nodded in his direction and put on a smile.  
“Hey, Helen. Lin, I forgot to mention, she stopped by while you were outside. Something about…?” You let your question hang in the air.

Helen cleared her throat and turned to Lin.  
“Does she…”  
“No need to beat around the bush guys, I will get a cup of coffee, you can talk about your little deal,” you quickly interfered and left the room. You were definitely not in the mood to witness that discussion.

In one of the small kitchens, you found a water kettle and some instant coffee. Not the best spread, but it would do. While the water was boiling, you looked out the window. You could see into a small alley next to the theater, a few people were walking down that path and you spend some time watching them. That’s why you almost jumped when someone said your name.

“(Y/N)? I didn’t expect to see you here!”  
You whirled around, Renée had joined you, a cup of her own in her hand.  
“Oh my god. You surprised me!” You said and tried to calm down your beating heart. The woman in front of you laughed and continued to hug you. It felt comforting and you returned it.  
“How are you girl? Everything alright with your eye? And you and Lin?” Renée suggestively wiggled her eyebrows.

“The eye is alright, still colorful. And Lin and I are good. He still keeps me around, so that’s a good sign I guess,” you chuckled nervously and Renée distributed a spoon of coffee into each of your cups.  
“Why shouldn’t he? You’re the best thing that has happened to him for a long time.”  
“You mean, apart from writing a Broadway hit?”  
“Well, that won’t keep anyone warm at night, now will it?”

You knew that she was right, so you decided to roll along with it. You should probably try to be more confident about your relationship.  
“I guess. It’s good. He will celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, so we’ll see how that plays out.”  
“Ok, we do have to organize a texting group, because I will need to know everything. Does he even have a suit?”  
“He sent one to the tailor,” you replied and you both began to laugh. 

You began pouring water into your cups and spend a few more minutes chatting with Renée, who only left you when she realized that she had promised to call her husband before the show. She turned around to you once again before vanishing down the hallway,  
“Don’t you think that I forgot your karaoke promise. I’ll talk to Lin and we’ll set something up. You’re still in, right?”  
You sighed, there was definitely no escaping this.  
“Sure, you would drag me there, even if I said no, right?”

Renée gave you a wide smile and winked, “You got that part right. See you soon!”  
She left the kitchen and you could hear her greet someone else, but that someone never bothered to make their way to the kitchen. You once again looked out the window, killing time to avoid running into Helen again. After another five minutes your coffee had cooled down quite a bit and you decided to make your way back to Lin.

When you knocked on his door you were surprised to see it open before you, he usually only yelled at the people waiting to be let in to open the door themselves. He also looked a bit annoyed but his face cleared when he saw that it was you.  
“Bad time?” You asked, curious as to why he seemed different.

Lin stepped aside and you made your way into the room, putting your coffee cup down on one of the many small tables that came in all sizes and colors. He, again, rubbed his face.  
“Lin, I don’t want to add any more fears to your life, but that will not help your skin at all,” you muttered and made a rubbing motion over your face. He grinned at you.

“I don’t think you can save anything (Y/N), but thanks for the concern. You would be appalled if you were to see me really working. A lot of face rubbing, hair pulling, and drinking almost no water. The nightmare of any beautician.”  
“I am impressed that you know the word beautician, so I’ll let that slide. And I will see you working and make sure that you’ll at least drink enough!”

Lin nodded thoughtfully and you waited for him to say something in return. Nothing happened.  
“What’s going on? Did Helen say something?” Your curiosity simply was too strong and Lin shrugged, taking a seat in front of the mirror. Right, the hair and makeup people would arrive shortly.

“No, she didn’t say anything. We decided to cut down her salary for the next three months and the money will find its way back to me that way. She is still very grateful,” he said and looked at your coffee cup. You gently pushed it into his direction and after giving you a questioning look, he took it and began drinking the coffee that you had prepared for yourself. It didn’t bother you.

“I guess it’s normal that she is still grateful. I would be and that ultimately means that she appreciates it. I guess.”  
“Did you just say something nice about her?” Lin asked and you huffed.  
“I am not a monster, Lin. She is nice enough. I am just keeping an eye on her.”

Lin watched you trying to justify yourself. You had begun to lean against the make up table and he put a hand on your slightly bend knee, to squeeze it. It was probably meant in a reassuring way but since you were extremely ticklish, you yelped and almost made him spill the coffee. He saved it though and after staring at each other for a second, you both burst out laughing. 

Suddenly, you were thinking about how different things had been that morning and while clutching your stomach, a sense of sadness began to fill your mind. Lin noticed and put down the cup to fully look at you.  
“My time to ask, what’s going on?”  
You sighed and began playing with the hem of your turtleneck.

“I just thought about this morning. I knew that we would manage but I just realized that this could be over in the matter of a second. And I don’t know what I would do if you would just vanish from my life again. Along with all the very cool people that I got to know,” you quickly added the last part, to not appear like a total weirdo, chuckling nervously.   
Lin didn’t join your laughter, he only continued to look at you thoughtfully.

“Things can be over pretty fast,” he agreed and cleared his throat, once again putting his hand on your knee, this time without squeezing it.  
“But,” he continued, “I don’t want it to end. I know that me saying this will not erase your fears but maybe it’ll help a little bit?”  
“It does,” you assured him and were now greeted by his usual warm smile. Which definitely made you feel a bit fuzzy inside.

There was a quiet knock on the door and before Lin could say anything, he was actually still busy smiling, it opened. In walked his hair team and you made room for them, taking a seat on the couch, trying to focus on your phone. You began checking Twitter, while Lin’s hair was taken care of, along with his microphone. He did sneak a few glances at you through the mirror, which you returned with your own. You realized that you were behaving like lovesick teenagers, but it didn’t really bother you. 

The only one who really noticed was the guy who was busy smoothing down Lin’s hair. After another one of Lin’s looks at you, he let go of his head.  
“Lin, come on. Please focus for five seconds, otherwise, Hamilton will not have good hair!”  
“Oh, well… we cannot have that, now can we?” Lin responded, acting serious all of a sudden and you fought with yourself to not laugh out loud. The hairdresser gave Lin an exasperated look but quickly finished his job, not wanting to waste any more time. After another two minutes, the hair was smoothed down, a microphone hidden within the black strands.

“Next time, I’ll slap you when you look at your girlfriend. She is nice, but Lin, this took me, like, double the amount of time,” he gave Lin his warning before leaving the room. When the door closed again, Lin burst into a fit of laughter and you joined with a slight chuckle.  
“That poor man will go insane if you continue doing stuff like that,” you finally said and Lin got up, stretching and groaning when you heard something crack in his back.

A voice came from the speakers, “30 minutes guys and girls, get ready.”  
You settled back into your relaxed position on the couch, still scrolling through your phone, while Lin would be on stage, you could go back to that Hamilton biography.  
Lin changed into most of his costume while you were busy reading about some sort of new bagel pop up shop in your neighborhood. It looked amazing.

“Why are you smiling at your phone? Do I have to worry?” Lin interrupted your thoughts of a perfectly toasted bagel, like the one you could currently see on your screen. You looked up from your phone and were surprised to suddenly see Alexander Hamilton scowl at you.  
“Uh… I was actually looking at bagels,” you sheepishly admitted and Lin grinned.  
“Come on… really?”  
“There is this new shop in my neighborhood… It’s silly, but I suddenly got very hungry.”

Now you both laughed and he joined you on the couch, craning his neck to get a glimpse at your phone.  
“You were telling the truth!”   
Was he actually surprised?  
“Would you rather have me snooping around on Tinder or the likes?”  
“No, of course not. But I guess we should get a bagel soon?”

You nodded enthusiastically and Lin wrote it down in his phone.  
“What are you plans for tonight?” He then asked and you put down your device.  
“I thought about sticking around till the break. Then I’ll leave and wait for you at home.”  
“Hopefully draped against the window, waiting to get a good look at me when I approach the building?”  
“Right... I’ll make sure to play an old-timey soundtrack in the background, too,” you completed his idea and Lin laughed.

“Jokes aside, I will probably be in my pajamas, drinking a tea and watching something on Netflix,” you clarified, not wanting him to actually think you would pull off the scenario he talked about.  
“That’s ok, too,” Lin simply stated and leaned back, making sure that he would not destroy his carefully smoothed down hair. He then turned his head and looked at you.

“It’s always nice to know that you are here during the break. Gives me something to look forward to.”  
“You mean, apart from your audience’s adoration at the end of the show?”  
Lin reached for your hand and squeezed it.  
“You know what I mean.”

You decided to tease him a bit, that was always fun.  
“Why don’t you enlighten me?”  
“I see what you are doing,” Lin confessed and leaned closer to you, “But I like it.”  
He began to slowly kiss you, letting his fingers dance lightly over your thigh, the only part that he could reach in his awkward position. You smiled against his lips and when he let go of you, you could still feel the lingering feeling of his lips against you.

“So that’s what you are talking about,” you couldn’t help yourself, you had to continue that game. Lin smiled and shook his head  
“You are a very weird person (Y/N).”  
“Thank god I found someone who is even weirder,” you retorted and he nodded.  
“Cannot deny that. We still have to thank Daveed for that,” Lin said as if he was really thinking about it.  
“Let’s do that at some point, after all, he is already planning our wedding.”

You both snickered and the speaker voice reminded Lin that he only had 10 minutes left. There was suddenly another knock on the door and without waiting, Jonathan stuck his head into the room.  
“For a second, I was afraid to catch you making out,” he grinned and you rolled your eyes.  
“Word does seem to travel fast in this theater.”  
“It really does. Just a second. Lin… do you need me tomorrow for that fancy TV thing?”

Lin pulled up an email on his phone and quickly scanned it while Jonathan gave you a cheeky wink. He was a really handsome man, that much was true.  
“I don’t think so… But you can always swing by, your face should be on every TV in this country.”  
Apparently, Lin’s opinion on Jonathan’s face was the same as yours. Your resident king seemed to think about it for a minute.  
“Alright, I’ll stop by. Will you be here too (Y/N)?”

You shrugged, you hadn’t talked about it at all, so you didn’t know.  
“If she wants,” Lin gave you a quick look, “I am not planning on introducing my girlfriend on live TV, but…”  
“Twitter would love it though,” Jonathan piped up and you gave him a warning look. He didn’t seem bothered by it.  
“That’s true,” Lin was now seriously considering it.

“Guys, I am still my own person, you know that, right?” You had to make sure.  
“I know, I know… But it would be great to kind of have you around in the… background? Maybe saying a few words? They will film a lot of what is going on in the theater before the matinee. And I would love to have you around!”   
Lin looked at you, he had put on his puppy dog eyes for the occasion and you sighed, how could you deny him anything with that look?

“Ok, but I need someone professional to conceal my eye. Otherwise, there will be mixed reactions from people watching!”  
“We would not want that!” Jonathan agreed.  
“I for one don’t want you on stage in your jeans, so maybe go change?” Lin was joking but you could sense the serious undertone in his voice. Jonathan could too and he quickly threw a “See ya!” in your direction and vanished.

“That man is something else,” Lin muttered after the door closed again. You nodded in agreement.  
“But a great person to be around!” You added and this time Lin nodded.  
“I will have to get going, too. Don’t run off in the meantime!”  
“I would never!”  
He once again leaned down and gave you a kiss.  
“See you later. I might even bring you a coffee after I drank the one you made?” 

“That would be nice,” you answered and he winked at you. After one last look in the mirror, checking if everything was alright, Lin dramatically turned around to you again.  
“I’ll be off now, money has to be earned, we have to eat!”  
“You sound like a very serious businessman,” you commented and he grinned.  
“Sometimes I am. But I really have to get going now, otherwise, someone will come and drag me to the stage. That only happened once so far and I want to keep it that way.”

You would definitely have to get more info on that ‘one’ incident but decided to let it rest, for now, he really needed to hurry. Lin waved at you from the door and only after you returned the gesture, he left and quietly closed the door behind him. Silence suddenly enveloped you, but you did not mind. Sometimes you needed that alone time and this was your chance.

You snuggled up in the blanket that had saved Lin when Daveed interrupted you before. You also spotted the book you had been reading last time, Lin must have put it on the table so that you could easily find it. You quickly found the part where you had stopped last time and within minutes, you delved back into the life of the man that your boyfriend currently portrayed on stage. 

The break came sooner than you realized and when Lin waltzed back into the room, it felt as if you had only read for ten minutes.   
“Been busy reading?”  
“Apparently. How was the show?”  
You looked up then, realizing that he was holding something in front of you. It was the promised cup of coffee, which you took from him, with a thankful smile.

“You did bring me coffee!”  
“I said I would, didn’t I?” Lin gave you a charming smile, which did not really hide how exhausted he was. He let himself plunk down onto the couch and sighed. While you took your first tentative sip, Lin began talking about the first act.

“I forgot a line during My Shot, it was... not humiliating, but I suddenly got heart palpitations and luckily found my way back into the song. Just imagine how the show would have progressed with me bombing the one song I am supposed to get right?!”  
He sounded panicky and you put a hand on his, trying to calm him down.  
“Relax, you saved that song and I think it is completely normal to sometimes forget a line. Don’t beat yourself up over this. It’s ok!”

He did not look convinced, “I just... I know how much money some people have to pay for this. People who don’t really have that money lying around and I want to give them the best show they can possibly see. If I forget a line and won’t find my way back into the song, that will destroy their evening. That’s what’s always on my mind…”

It was sweet of him but you knew that he sometimes forgot that he was only human.  
“Lin, you will have bad days, too. And you still do the show, probably the only thing that will stop you right now would be a serious illness. And the fans know that. Sometimes people even like seeing the human behind the role. They come here for the show, but they also come to see you and the others on stage. Try to keep that in mind.”

Lin sighed and made a motion to rub his face again. He stopped in front of his forehead, suddenly remembering that he had makeup on.   
“I guess you are right. Maybe I am too hard on myself.”  
“You are, definitely. The people love you, otherwise, they wouldn’t be here. Why do you think I am hanging out here?”  
Now he grinned at you, “Because you loooove me, too?”  
You could feel your face grow hot, no, you had not planned on making a declaration. Lin immediately spotted the panic on your face.

“Calm down (Y/N), I was just teasing,” he shrugged but you could still see his smile. Silence stretched between the two of you and you could feel him relax. The quiet was interrupted by the voice from the speaker, announcing that the show would continue in about five minutes.

“I’ll go back to the apartment after you start the second act, is that still ok? Or do you want me to stay?”   
Your question went unanswered for a few seconds but, eventually, Lin found his voice again.  
“Sure, just don’t go to bed before I come home, ok?”

You grinned at him, you had definitely not forgotten your make out session from about two hours ago. Lin gave you a suggestive eyebrow wiggle and heaved himself to his feet.  
“So, I’ll see you in a few hours, I’ll text you when I leave, alright?”  
“Sounds great,” you agreed and he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead. It felt comfortable and you smiled at him as he left again, probably to be powdered down one last time before the show continued.

As you had told him, you made your way back to Lin’s apartment as soon as the second act began blaring over the speakers. It had begun to rain, so you were glad when you finally opened the door to Lin’s home. By now, it smelled like a place which you could easily call your home. It was too early for that, just as Lin had said, but one day you could definitely see yourself living here with him. You smiled as you thought about it and kicked off your shoes.

Before settling down for the night, you remembered the possibility of a continuation of what had happened at the theater, so it would probably be best to catch a quick shower. And shave your legs. You walked to the bedroom, remembering that you did not really have good underwear lying around, only a lace bra that you had put on the day Lin had dragged you to the doctor’s, so that would have to do, with simple panties. To relax, you would go back to your yoga pants and a loose fitting shirt. 

A quick and hot shower later, you began shaving your legs to the tune of In the Heights, you still had not listened to the whole recording but liked it so far. The upbeat music was definitely a contrast to Hamilton and you had to laugh from time to time when Lin began rapping in his squeaky voice. He had really improved since then. The shaving did not take you long and after blow-drying your hair and putting on your outfit for the night you decided to plan Daveed’s cake.

You quickly realized that you would have to bake it the next day, so probably after you got back from the theater since you had promised Lin to actually show up for the TV thing. You did not really know why you had agreed, so you would have to wait and see what it would be about. After planning your grocery list, you pulled up your emails and looked over some requests for the bakery that Cat hat forwarded to you. You gave your ok to some of them, others were declined (like one from a mother who wanted a 3D cake model of Elsa for her daughter. You definitely did not have the nerves for that right now.)

The emails took up a surprising amount of time, so you almost jumped when your phone vibrated next to you. Lin was on his way home and, true to his message, it did not take long until he actually stepped through the door. From the looks of it, he had already taken a shower and noticed your questioning glance.  
“What?”

“Did you take a shower at the theater?”  
“Yeah... I only do that sometimes. I hate walking around the premises in a bathrobe, so... I also really like my shower, but we accidentally emptied half a tub of gel on my hair before the second act started and I had to do something about that. Now I am fresh and clean,” the yawn that followed that declaration betrayed the fresh comment but you let it slide.  
“As promised, I did wait for you!” You piped up and Lin gave you a wide smile.

He took a few steps in your direction and you immediately spotted the telltale signs of being tired on his face. Before you could say anything about it though, Lin had captured your lips with his and his hands quickly found their way into your hair. You sighed into the kiss while at the same time trying to return it with the same urgency. Your back was pressed against the wall in the hallway, Lin’s body trapped you between him and the s  
solid surface, which was definitely not something you would say no to. Your heart began beating faster, anticipating what was about to happen.

Lin let go of you, you also had to come up for air, but instead of getting back to kissing you, he stifled a yawn. You could not help yourself and laughed, which earned you an angry look from your boyfriend.  
“I am sorry Lin...,” you still had to stifle the laugh and he sighed.  
“I am the one who’s sorry. I am just so tired. I might have lied about the three hours of sleep I got last night. I was too worried about what you were planning to say to me. So, due to the fear of being single again because I was a dumbass, I probably only got two hours.”

“Lin! You need to sleep!”  
You could not believe it, only two hours? That man needed to see a bed, and rather sooner than later.  
“But I was looking forward to making out. And getting a better look at what is hiding beneath those clothes!”  
He still managed to sound suggestive and you cleared your throat, suddenly feeling a bit too hot around the man in front of you.

“Well... Those things will still be here tomorrow. And I would not appreciate you falling asleep if you get what I mean.”  
“Sounds reasonable...,” Lin mused and you both giggled. It was a weird situation.  
“So... sleep now and other things tomorrow? Maybe? Please?” Lin grinned and you nodded.  
“Yes. To all of that. Now let’s get you into bed.”

Lin sighed, “Not the way I was hoping this night to go, but I’ll take it.”  
While he was changing into his sleeping clothes, you already made yourself comfortable, hearing him yawn from time to time. This was definitely different from what you had anticipated.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,
> 
> Coming at you in the middle of my working trip. I am sorry I didn’t update sooner but I’ve been so busy. I also did not proofread this chapter, so bear with me. Steamy stuff will happen next week, I do need a bit more time for that. 
> 
> Also could not manage to answer any comments because of work. I am so sorry. Nevertheless, enjoy this! And thanks for the support and reading :)

The next morning greeted you with a fresh cup of coffee. Behind that cup of coffee was Lin, looking at you with a slight smile which actually made you feel a bit unsure of why he was smiling. You had just woken up after all, your hair was probably a mess.

“Uh… good morning,” you mumbled and took the cup from the man in front of you  
“And good morning to you too. I was hoping that the smell of coffee would wake you up!”  
“Why?” You asked and took a sip, as always, it tasted amazing. Which was probably also due to your general confusion.

“Well.. it’s nine am and we will have to get going in about,” Lin looked at his phone, “two hours. I do have this important interview, if you remember?”  
You gave him an annoyed look but got ready to get out of bed.  
“I remember. And I assume that it’ll take place before the show, right? And that’s why you make me get a move on?”  
“Exactly.”

“I appreciate the coffee," you confessed and got up, stretching while Lin watched you.  
“That’s the least I could do after being so tired yesterday,” he commented and you felt yourself turn red. Right, you had originally had different plans for how the night should have progressed.  
“I can see your red face, you know that?” Lin snickered behind you, he had also gotten up and was now taking step towards you.

You turned around and his hands immediately found your waist and a bit of skin that was not currently covered by your shirt. You shivered, his hands were a bit colder than you had anticipated.  
“I blush easily,” you tried to explain yourself and Lin’s face got closer to yours.  
“I think it’s cute,” he whispered against your lips and before your could say anything in return, your lips met and you quickly forgot what you wanted to say.

Lin tasted like peppermint toothpaste, which made you remember that you had to get ready, too. You broke away from him and smiled.  
“I’ll catch a quick shower. And put on something else. Then we can go to the theater and if you are nice, I will even show my face on TV.”  
Lin nodded, “Sounds like a plan, I don’t want to keep you from doing exactly that.”

After letting go of you, Lin made his way to the living room and soon after, you could hear the tunes of some new song floating through the apartment. Since you had washed your hair the day before, you decided to stick with a simple shower, which was a matter of five minutes. After stepping back into the now steamy bathroom, you checked your appearance in the mirror. 

You had been right the day before, you would definitely need a turtle neck today. The right side of your neck was slightly red, probably due to Lin’s beard scratching against it, but it also sported some impressive hickeys. You felt like a teenager, trying to cover up the evidence of a wild night out. After putting one some make up and brushing your teeth, you wiggled into your jeans and pulled the turtle neck from yesterday over your head. Maybe not the best outfit for a TV appearance, but you looked like a normal person without a red neck. You had also managed to somehow conceal the remnants of your black eye, without make up it was still very much present, but with your heavy duty concealer one was only able to see it, if you knew that it was there.

Lin had stopped playing the piano when you returned and was looking at you appraisingly.  
“The turtle neck again? I sense a theme,” he said and you rolled your eyes.  
“I put it on because of this,” you explained and pulled the neck down, revealing the hickeys. To your delight, Lin turned red this time. He cleared his throat.  
“Oh well… I forgot about that. Uh… sorry? What am I supposed to say?”

You laughed, “Nothing, it’s ok. I just have to keep this turtle neck where it is, otherwise Twitter will have a field day as soon as that interview airs.”  
Lin nodded, still slightly embarrassed.  
“I got someone to deliver breakfast to the theater if that is ok with you?”  
You nodded, having someone else taking care of food was always a good thing, and put on your jacket. Lin followed your example, this time finding his scarf immediately and you both grinned.  
“Miracles do happen!” Lin put on the scarf and handed you your bag.

The crisp air welcomed you as soon as you put a foot on the sidewalk and you sucked in a surprised breath. Maybe this winter you would finally learn to embrace the cold, Christmas was your favorite season after all. Lin put his hands into his coat pockets, apparently also thinking about the cold. He smiled at you.  
“Ready for the subway?”

Luckily you did not have to deal with overfilled trains that day and arrived at the theater in one piece. Outside, you already met Daveed, who was approaching you with his typical wide smile.  
“Good morning!”  
“Same to you,” you replied and shivered in the cold wind. Lin picked up on you being uncomfortable and ushered you and Daveed in. You were already looking forward to having breakfast and after checking in with some of the production crew, Lin and you said your goodbyes to Daveed and made your way to his dressing room.

“So… the plan is grabbing something to eat, they will have put all the food into one of the rehearsal rooms. After that they want to do a group interview with some of the cast and a one on one with me in the dressing room,” Lin explained and you looked around the room.  
“Shouldn’t you try and make it a bit more presentable?”   
Your question earned you a raised eyebrow and you laughed.  
“Alright, I get it, creative chaos and so on.”

“Do you really think that I should clean?” Lin asked, now self-conscious and you out your arms around him.  
“No, it’s perfect. It really represents you,” you had to stifle another laugh and he gave you a look that told you that he did not really believe you.  
“Well, I don’t have time to change anything, so they will have to deal with it. Let’s get something to eat.”

On your way to breakfast Renée and Phillipa joined you.  
“Excited for today?" You asked and both women nodded.  
“I am used to being on stage but giving interviews can be nerve-wracking,” Phillipa said and you gave her an encouraging smile.  
“I hear that you will make an appearance, too?” Renée chimed in and you groaned.

“Yeah… I might have promised something that I did not think through,” you mumbled and both women laughed.  
“It will be ok,” Phillipa assured you as you entered the room with the breakfast, “Lin can do interviews in his sleep by now, so just stick with him.”  
“I wouldn’t say that, but I am getting used to it. Hamilton made many people take an interest in me,” Lin agreed and you raised an eyebrow at him, something that was mirrored by Phillipa and Renée.  
“You think?” You asked and Lin simply shook his head and pulled you to one of the tables.  
You looked at the spread and immediately realized that Lin had ordered breakfast from the Bagel place you had looked at the day before.  
“Lin… come on, really?”  
He looked proud and nodded, “You wanted bagels and I delivered. Well, I didn’t but they did. And from the looks of it, everyone is enjoying the food. Leslie sure looks like he has no complaints.”

You looked over your shoulder and spotted Leslie, who was laughing about something that Daveed had said, clutching a bagel in his hand.  
“I am also not complaining. Thank you. That was really sweet.”  
“I am doing what I can,” Lin declared and offered you one of the bagels. You took it, appreciating the kind gesture but you also knew that he was probably still feeling bad about the way he had behaved. You decided to not bring it up right now, but he really did not have to keep on trying to make something up to you.

Breakfast was quite a quick affair, everyone still had to get ready, and even though you were not included in the cast interview, you felt your nerves begin to flutter while thinking about speaking on camera. While Lin was getting ready, he was only powdered down and put on a button-down shirt to look more professional, you were scribbling away on your notepad. You still had to come up with a wedding cake theme for a client but inspiration was still waiting to arrive.

“I’ll get going now. It will probably take about an hour with them putting up stuff and things like that. Will you be alright?” He checked and you nodded.  
“I might take a quick nap, so make sure to wake me up before you barge in with a TV crew.”  
“Noted,” he grinned and gave you a kiss. You watched him walk through the door and stretched on the small couch. Maybe you could do a butterfly wedding theme? No, that was too cheesy. You should probably check in with the bride to see what she was passionate about.

After writing a short email to the bride, you put the notepad away and decided to really take that nap. You would probably only catch about 30 minutes of sleep but that was better than nothing, right?

 

You actually woke up when Lin entered his dressing room again.   
“Hey sleepyhead,” he said and you gave him a sleepy wave.  
“Everything alright with the interview?”  
“Sure. They just want to do something a little more in depth with me for another twenty minutes inside here. You can just hang out in the background? They probably won’t even film you, but if I talk about you they might want you to say something, would that be ok?”

You nodded, bracing you for an entourage of people, so you were surprised when only three people joined you in the dressing room. A woman was conducting the interview and she introduced herself as Karen. Then you met Tom, the sound and light guy, and Louisa, who was in charge of the camera.

Karen turned to you once again before they began filming, “Just try to stay quiet, alright? And we might want to you chime in at some point.”  
“I already told her,” Lin explained and you nodded, like a small child that was listening to what their mother was saying. Karen gave you a smile and Tom made sure that the lighting was alright.

Lin had been right, you were not in the shot and they quickly began with the one on one interview, asking him about how he came to write a musical about Hamilton. After Lin told them all about his inspiration, to which you also listened since it was quite interesting, they turned to more recent things.

“So, are you hoping for a few Tony nominations with your new hit?” Karen asked and Lin laughed.  
“I mean, that would be great. But I am not doing this for the Tonys, I would not say that anyone of us is doing this job because they want to win a prize. Don’t get me wrong, I think all of the brilliant people around me deserve that recognition but at the end of the day, we only want to tell a story.”

You smiled, that was typical, always looking at the grand picture. Karen seemed to like the answer and continued, “Even though we don’t really know how many nominations Hamilton will get next year, we might already know who will accompany you to the awards, right?” You looked up at that question, was she alluding to you?

She definitely was and Lin gave you a wide smile, before turning back to the camera.  
“Yes… I don't know if you follow me on twitter, but everyone on there must have already realized that I am not planning on visiting future events without a plus one.”  
You rolled your eyes at his answer but had to smile too. Instead of simply saying, yes I am in a relationship, Lin had to come up with a more elaborated answer. As always.

“Is your special someone camera shy, or might we catch a glimpse at her?” Karen asked and you got up. It made sense for you to simply lean against the makeup table, so your usual position, and you gave a shy wave to the camera.  
“Hey,” did you sound weird? You sounded weird to yourself.

Lin grinned up at you and you returned it, feeling a bit more secure.  
“So, do you want to introduce yourself?” He asked and you shrugged.  
“Sure… My name is (Y/N) and I am apparently Lin’s new plus one.”  
Karen laughed, “Sounds great. So, how did you two meet?”

Lin looked at you, were you supposed to retell the story that you had told your brother? Probably better to be safe than sorry. You cleared your throat.  
“Well, we met through a mutual friend, Daveed. I guess we clicked immediately, right?”  
“You could say that,” Lin agreed and continued, “I tend to be a bit clingy once I am interested, so… It worked out in the end.”  
“Lucky you,” you said and he gave you a playful shove.

Karen turned to you again, “Are you in the musical theater business, too?”  
You shook your head, “No, I am working as a baker, so no singing for me for a living.”  
“She’s a really good baker, everyone should buy their cakes and cookies at her workplace!” Lin added and after some prodding, you told Karen the name of your place of work. Maybe it would bring some new customers, who knew?

The interview with you went on for a few minutes but you quickly realized that what you had to say was not that important. It was understandable, after all, the audience was more interested in Lin, so your questions were done after about 10 minutes, Karen was mainly interested in how your relationship worked, especially since you had different careers. Your (and Lin’s) answers seemed to satisfy her, and when then whole process was over, she grinned at the both of you. 

“Thank you so much. I think we have a lot of great material here and after cutting it down our audience will love it!”  
“Are you implying that I am talking too much?” Lin laughed and you shook your head, a smile on your lips.   
“You do talk a lot though,” you teased him and he gave you a playful smack against your arm. Karen smiled at the two of you while ordering her camera crew to pack up. She promised to email Lin as soon as she knew when the clips would be on TV and after saying goodbye the crew quickly left the theater.

You were still a bit stunned to have been asked to appear on TV while Lin seemed to be relaxed about it.  
“So... did you have to do many interviews?” You asked and he shrugged.  
“Some I’d say. How did you feel about it?”  
“It was alright... but I kept thinking about so many weird things, like... do I look weird? Do I sound weird?”

Lin laughed and got up to stretch.  
“You did not look weird and you sounded completely normal. Will that calm your mind?”  
You nodded, still thinking about your answers and instead of probing you with more questions, Lin simply put an arm around you.  
“I am proud of you, alright?” He then said and you smiled at him.

“Great to hear it,” was your simple answer and he glanced at the clock over his door.  
“Shit, I have to get ready... Uh... what do you wanna do?”  
You looked at you shopping list which was still on his makeup table.  
“I’ll probably just get going since I still have to bake that cake for Daveed, so he can have it tomorrow. I do have to shop for that!”  
Lin nodded and pulled the hair tie from his ponytail.  
“I should get ready too... so, I’ll see you later?”  
“You definitely will!”

He grinned at you and pulled you closer to himself.  
“Looking forward to it. Especially after a two show day,” he wiggled his eyebrows at you and before you were able to say anything in return, he pressed a kiss against your lips. It didn’t last that long but you could sense his eagerness. When he let go of you again and smiled.  
“So... that’s my goodbye. See you later!”  
“You are a weird one, Mir Miranda,” you commented and he began laughing.  
“Get out of here, I’ll be back at around midnight!”

You gathered your things and after a final kiss, you left the dressing room. On your way to the stage door, you met Leslie, who greeted you hastily. He had apparently been out to get some lunch and was now late. Typical, according to Lin but it was kind of funny, especially since he played the ever so patient and proper Aaron Burr.

You did not see a lot of fans outside the theater and quickly made your way to a nearby supermarket. You had decided to treat yourself after shopping and taking an Uber back to Lin’s apartment. The groceries did not take too long but you still left with full bags, so getting a ride back was actually a good decision. The woman who picked you up was nice enough and asked about what you had been shopping for and you explained your job to her. She actually knew the bakery and you spent the ride talking about everything from pies to cake pops. 

When you arrived at Lin’s, you changed into sweatpants and gathered your hair up in a ponytail to immediately get to baking the red velvet cake, it would have to cool down before you could frost it and since you were planning one making it a multi-layered cake, you would definitely need every hour you could get. Making the batter, as always, did not take too long but you quickly realized that Lin only had two cake tins. So you would have to divide the actual baking part. 

After the first round had found its way into the oven, you began watching a romantic comedy (shocking, right?) and waited for the cakes to be ready. In the meantime, Lin texted you saying that there were still a few bagels left and that he would bring them once he returned. He also included a picture of himself balancing a bagel on his face. You could spot Jonathan in the mirror behind Lin, he had taken the photo. You texted a simple, “You’re weird” back and put your phone away, knowing that Lin would probably take a nap between shows.

You were right, since he informed you about his plans after you took out the first two cakes. You let them cool while mixing up another batch and put them out of the tins to cool down before putting the second round into the oven. The movie was finished when you took them out and after placing them on the kitchen counter, you followed Lin’s example and took a nap.

When you woke up again, the cakes had cooled down completely. Especially since you had slept till eight. You phone had received text messages from Lin,  
‘I’m awake again. Only one show left to go! How is the cake coming along?’  
And a second, 30 minutes later,  
‘I guess you fell asleep, huh?’  
You got back to him with a grinning emoji and quickly checked on the cakes. They looked good, so you decided to whip up the frosting. After mixing it, you trimmed the cakes, you could use the leftovers to decorate the top of the finished cake.

Making the frosting and actually assembling and decorating the cake took another 1.5 hours, you were quite meticulous, so after you finished you sent a text to Lin, with a picture of the cake, asking if he thought that it looked good. He answered after the show finished.  
‘Looks great! (But you know that) Will be home soon, so... prepare.’  
You laughed about his ‘prepare’ and took a look in the mirror. 

You definitely did not look presentable. There was flour in your hair and all over your shirt. Instead of immediately taking a shower, you decided to wait for Lin. When he arrived, he didn’t really look at you immediately, so after you walked up to him, you did a little twirl.  
“Notice anything new?” You asked and he finally looked up.  
“No... wait. Why are you looking as if you had a wild party with loads of cocaine?”  
You both started laughing and you pulled him to the kitchen to show him the cake. 

“It does look great, I just wanna know when I will be the recipient of one of your famous cakes! Why do you only bake for others and not the obviously most important person in your life?”  
You looked at him, taken aback for a second, but then he laughed. You joined in, it was simply too infectious. 

You then eyed your stained shirt, luckily you still had a clean sweater for tomorrow at Lin’s, the rest of you clothes were either dirty or at your place.  
“I do need to catch a shower though, and maybe borrow something else to sleep in?” You pointed at the flour covered sweatpants and he nodded.  
“Just a second,” with that he vanished and returned after a short time with a shirt and another pair of loose sweatpants. You took them from him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll be back in a bit.”  
“I hope so!” Lin declared and you smiled, he was really something.  
In the bathroom you quickly got rid of your clothes and silently thanked the Lord for having shaved your legs the night before — not that it was important, but you still wanted to keep up that perfect picture a bit longer. At least your legs were smooth, while your eye was still looking a bit weird.

Showering did not take too long, most of the time was spent trying to get a particularly stubborn spot of flour out of your hair. Having baking ingredients in your hair was always a struggle, but somehow you managed, maybe due to the shampoo you had to borrow from Lin, the bottle he had brought from your place was already empty. It was one of those ‘Wash everything with only one product’-concoctions. You would have to get him something else, but for now it did its job. And made you smell a lot more manly.

One thing you did find in the bathroom was your moisturizer but you realized that you would have to leave a lot more things in Lin’s apartment in the weeks to come. You only spent a few minutes with drying your hair, it would have to stay a bit damp, and finally slipped into a fresh pair of underwear and the shirt Lin had provided you with. It was one with an In the Heights Print on the front and the names of the show’s cast members on the back. It was also fairly long and almost reached the middle of your thighs, so you decided to not put on the pants that were still sitting on the edge of the bathtub. 

After putting on a bit of lipbalm, which could always be found in one of your pockets, you left the bathroom and strolled towards the kitchen. It was dark and after checking the living room (also empty), you made your way to the bedroom. Lin was sitting at his desk, hunched over a few papers and you noisily closed the door behind you to alert him to your presence. He almost jumped a bit and then turned around.

“Why do you always have to scare me? Oh,” he examined you, “No need for pants apparently?”  
“The shirt is long enough, this time you did not give me one of your more fitted ones,” you teased him and put your stained sweatpants next to the bed. Your phone was still in it, so you bend down and retrieved it from one of the pockets. When you straightened again, you noticed that Lin was still watching you.

“Seeing anything you like?”, you asked, why were you so bold all of a sudden? In an instant your cheeks grew hot again, right, back to normal. You could see him swallow from across the room, but he kept busy with the pen he was holding in his hand.  
“Maybe,” was his kind of cheeky response and you rolled your eyes.  
“What are you doing anyways? Are you working, after finishing a two show day!?” You inquired and Lin shrugged.

“There is always stuff that I have to take care of. And since we will be gone for at least two days next week, I am trying to get ahead of a few things. It’s a bit more work than usual, but I will manage. Or at least I think so. Didn’t get anything done today, so I’ll probably get back at it on Monday, since I try to at least relax a bit on Sundays.  
“Maybe your mind will be preoccupied with something else?” You suggested, thinking about Thanksgiving. You had definitely been obsessing over the upcoming event, or rather over what could possible go wrong.

“You could say that I am usually thinking about something else,” Lin agreed and when he did not clarify what he meant by that you looked up from your phone. You had received no new messages, so you could just put it away, you did not need it anymore.  
“Huh?” As always, you knew exactly what to say in moments like these.

“I just agreed with you. I have been thinking about other things. Since I did have that interview earlier, so I will just leave it be for today,” he shrugged and got up. He had also changed while you took a shower and was now clad in simple gray sweat pants and a tanktop that was definitely more fitted than the shirt you were wearing. His hair was in his signature low bun, a look you had definitely grown accustomed to.

Lin made his way towards you and you grinned at him. He stopped a few feet in front of you, sniffing the air.  
“Why are you smelling like… me?” He questioned and you laughed out loud.  
“Because I needed a shower and get some flour out of my hair? I will make sure to bring some more of my shampoo next time, if me smelling like you freaks you out,” you hastened to say.  
Lin was thinking about it for a few seconds and finally came to a conclusion.

“No, it’s ok. I mean, it’s fine if you bring your stuff but I kind of like it.”  
“What? Me smelling like your shower gel, shampoo concoction?” You were not sure what he was talking about.  
“I don’t appreciate that concoction accusation, but I am not talking about that. I like you smelling like me… That sounds really creepy and weird,” Lin chuckled, almost sounding a bit nervous.  
“No, it’s ok. I do like how you smell, after all,” your stammering wasn’t better.

The whole smell talk made you uncomfortable, so you crossed your arms, which lead to the shirt riding up a bit more. Lin followed the movement with his eyes and when he looked up to your face again, you noticed that the atmosphere in the room had changed. Lin’s eyes continued to wander over your body, the parts he was able to see and the ones that were still hidden by the shirt you were wearing. You felt strangely aware of your presence in the room and his eyes on your body. It did not feel bad, just different, and made you excited for what was to come


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, the work trip is a thing of the past. I am still exhausted though. Took some time to write this chapter, so I hope you'll like it. I was a little bit nervous to write this but... let's see how this plays out. The chapter really just revolves around one thing - and we have all been waiting for it. :D
> 
> So, I hope you enjoy this and I will hopefully be back on track soon with my writing! Thank you all x

When you caught Lin’s eyes again you realized that he was biting his lip and your breath involuntarily hitched in your throat. That was apparently everything that Lin needed, for he suddenly surged forward and almost violently clashed his mouth against yours. You did not mind in the slightest, especially as his hand slipped under your shirt and began to caress the skin of your back.

You stumbled back as he continued kissing you but you truly did not mind. His rushed tempo had slowed down a bit, but you could feel his eagerness as his hands wandered over your body. When you broke away from him, needing to catch your breath for a second, Lin looked down at you, still holding you tightly.  
“That was… unexpected,” you breathed quietly as if someone was listening in on you.  
Lin chuckled before he commented, “I was thinking the same but seeing you in that shirt apparently messed with my head.”

His voice had dropped a few notes and you felt a shiver run through your body. Sure, you liked him for a reason and during the past few days, you had noticed yourself feeling more and more attracted to him but had you expected this tonight? Definitely not. A nervous laugh escaped your lips and Lin smirked at you. He leaned down and gave you a kiss on the cheek.

“Do you want to stop? Go to sleep?” His tone was suggestive as he whispered the question against your lips.  
“Uhm… no. I mean… do you want to sleep, you had two shows and an interview. That must have been stressful?” Your stuttering definitely wasn’t sexy in the slightest.

Your question was met with chuckling and instead of answering you, Lin began nibbling on your earlobe. Since your ears were quite sensitive, you giggled and squirmed free of his embrace as he watched you laugh with a smile of his own on his face.  
“Not the ears, please,” you got out and he shrugged.  
“Noted. Luckily, there are a lot more parts on your body that I can bite.”

You stopped laughing, feeling a bit lightheaded, he was clearly enjoying teasing you. Time to return the favor. Lin continued watching you, waiting for something to happen.  
“Since we do agree on not sleeping right now, I could probably lose this shirt, right?”  
He inclined his head a bit as if he was approving of your plan. You suddenly remembered that you had put on your bra before putting on the shirt you were currently wearing, now you were hoping that it was at least a cute one.

Slowly, you began tugging the shirt over your head. Lin’s eyes found the black bra you were wearing in an instant and while you let the shirt fall onto the small heap of clothes next to your bag, you could feel his eyes wandering over your body. It made you feel a bit self-conscious and without realizing it, you covered yourself with your arms. The newly found confidence died down but before you got the chance to keep thinking about it, Lin stepped closer and reached for your hand.

“What are you doing?” He asked and you looked up at him.  
“I might have suddenly remembered that I am not the most confident person in this universe,” you could hear the nervous undertone in your voice and Lin pulled your face closer to his. You could feel his breath hot against your lips.  
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. But don’t think that I don’t want this, or you. You look amazing and, to be honest, I have been thinking about this moment for quite some time now.”

You could feel a smile form on your face, of course, he managed to make you feel comfortable.  
“Really?” You asked, and pressed your body against his. Lin sucked in a breath again and before he could say something in return, you began kissing him. 

While your tongue started a slow waltz with his, you shortened the distance between your bodies even more. Your hands were clawed in his dark hair, steadily removing the hair tie he was wearing and in a matter of seconds, you were able to run your fingers through his locks. Lin’s hands had traveled down to your butt, giving it a squeeze and pulling you in further.

He groaned against your lips when you tugged on his hair, something he seemed to enjoy, as you had discovered. The groan tapered off into a whimper when you let your hips rock against his, as you desperately searched for friction. Honestly, knowing that your actions had this effect on Lin and seeing him react to what you were doing was the biggest turn-on for you.  
“You’re wearing too many clothes, that’s not fair,” you whispered and Lin frantically got rid of his tank top, while you fought off a laugh.

“Let’s get a bit more comfortable, alright?”   
Lin pushed you on the bed and you let yourself fall onto the sheets. He took a second to look you over and then followed you. His mouth found yours again but instead of deepening the kiss, his lips wandered over your jaw and down to your neck. 

Lin moved your hair out of the way and continued his exploration, taking his time to make sure to cover everything on his way. You could feel him kiss the same spots as yesterday, your skin still tender from the make-out session in his dressing room. Shivers ran down your spine as he moved lower and lower, down your exposed skin.

When Lin reached your bra strap, he hooked his fingers under it.  
“Let’s take this off,” he commented nonchalantly and without waiting for an answer, his lips caressed the place where your neck met your shoulder again, making quick work of shoving the strap down. You sat up, making Lin lean back, and helped him get rid of the bra. The cold air hit your exposed breasts, covering your skin in goosebumps. 

Lin continued eying you, breathing hard. He moved closer again, wrapping his arms tightly around you as he growled into your ear, “You’re mine now.”  
His word hit your core and you could not help but whimper. One of his hands let go of the tight embrace and started roaming down your chest. You let yourself fall down again, your head meeting the pillow. Lin leaned down, not before watching you admiringly, his hand teasing the soft skin just above your breasts.

“Oh come on,” you complained, impatiently. You could see him smile, obviously enjoying seeing you unraveling beneath him. While you were still busy scowling at him, he suddenly pinched your right nipple, eliciting a soft moan from you.  
“Is that what you were talking about?” The audacity.  
His hand wandered down, caressing your curves, and his lips followed. His hair tickled your bare skin but you definitely did not mind.

His kisses eventually found your breasts and when you could feel his tongue caressing them you closed your eyes at the sensation. His thumb began massaging your hips while his mouth was still busy, biting and liking. You threw your head back when his lips found their way back up to your face, sucking on a few selected spots. His eyes met yours again, gazing at you suggestively. You almost lost yourself in his now pretty much black eyes when you felt him press against you, begging you closer.

Now you were able to feel his own desire hard against you, which honestly made you more excited for what was to come. While you were still trying to get your own emotions under control, you could feel his hand stroke your inner thigh. You needed to do something, anything, to be able to manage the sensations he aroused in you. Reaching up, you buried your fingers in his soft hair. Lin looked into your eyes, his gaze then dropping to your lips. You pulled his face toward you, capturing his lips in a kiss, feeling him being even more eager in his touch.

Feeling more confident at that moment, you timidly reached down, skimming the band of his sweatpants with your fingers. Lin broke away from the kiss for a second, leaning his forehead against yours. His breath had become ragged and you could feel his formerly steady hand grabbing for anything he could hold on to. 

You let your fingers rest on their spot until your boyfriend began squirming next to you, almost begging you to continue.  
“You’re mean,” he sighed against your cheek when you continued to keep still.  
“Maybe you should get rid of your pants if you’re feeling so impatient,” you breathed against his lips and once again, he let go of you and undressed in an inhuman speed. 

You quickly realized that Lin was not wearing any underwear, so you let your gaze travel down his body. You were definitely not disappointed and when he lay down next to you again, you smirked at him.  
“What?” He questioned. Was he sounding self-conscious now?  
“Nothing, just enjoying the view,” you admitted and he grinned, before leaning down to kiss you once more.

You reached down, longing to finally feel him, and when you eventually grabbed his length in your hand and began to lazily move your wrist, Lin’s eyes closed fully. His breath hitched, which led you to move more forcefully.  
“(Y/N),” hearing him moan your name was definitely another turn on and he shifted slightly as you continued to pleasure him.

For a few seconds, the only thing you were hearing were Lin's breathy moans and whimpers next to your ear but then he suddenly backed away from you, making you question if you did something wrong. Lin immediately guessed your thoughts and moved closer again.  
“It’s ok, I just - well, if you keep doing that, this will be over in a few minutes and that would be great for me but I would feel bad for you.”  
You couldn’t help yourself and chuckled, joined by Lin, who also began to smile.

He quickly grew serious again, letting his hands roam down your body.  
“But seriously. I want you. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted you,” his words made you shiver involuntarily and when his hands found their way to your panties, you willingly lifted your hips to help him get rid of them.  
Lin kissed you again and you pressed yourself against him, impatient and needing him to finally become one with you.

You could feel him grin against your lips, so you let go again, looking at him questioningly.  
“What now?”  
“I love that you seem to want this too, but…”  
You groaned, “Do you want me to say it? I want you, Lin, so, please… this is torture.”  
“Good to know,” he muttered and you gasped as you suddenly felt his fingers on your most sensitive body part. They were teasing you, one finger skimming over your clit, making you moan.

Lin leaned down again and began kissing you, slipping his tongue in between your teeth and exploring your mouth, while his finger never stopped exploring your folds. You reached up to his face and buried your hand in his hair, tugging slightly. He closed his eyes again, letting his mouth wander to your jawline, to which he pressed numerous quick kisses.

“Wait a second,” he then whispered into your ear and you groaned in frustration, closing your eyes. You heard him rip something open and when you opened your eyes again you realized that he had remembered to use protection. You were on the pill, but being intimate for the first time made a condom necessary. You also remembered that you never talked about this and seeing him take care of the more unerotic aspects strangely made you want him even more.

“Ok, where were we,” Lin said and before you could say something in return, you felt him plunge a finger into you. It took you by surprise and your fingers dug into his arm, searching for something to steady yourself. Lin was enjoying your reaction as he experimentally added another finger, finding a steady rhythm to bring you closer to the brink. You let your head fall back, whispering his name and scrabbling to find anything to hold on to.

Desire curled in your stomach and you gasped as he enhanced his efforts. It took you every last bit of strength you had to grasp for his face, making him look at you. He raised an eyebrow.  
“Lin, please…” you trailed off as he kissed you, quieting your begging. You needed to feel him and it looked as if he was willing to finally give you that satisfaction.

Slowly, Lin changed his position, crawling on top of you while continuing to kiss you. You gasped when you could feel his member's head against your entrance and when he began guiding himself into you, you felt every inch of him along the way. You both moaned simultaneously and you realized that he had been holding back this whole time. You could see the slight sheen of sweat on his forehead and the effort it took to stay focused.

It felt delicious to be so close to him, to actually be connected with him. Lin paused for a second, letting you adjust to the feeling. When you began to grow impatient, something which apparently happened often, he started to slowly thrust into you. Your nails dug into his flesh, his eyes finding yours. While your hips began grinding against his, one of Lin’s hands moved to yours, entwining your fingers with his. His pupils were shot, almost obscuring his eye color and your raised your other hand to caress his face. Lin leaned into your touch, closing his eyes and concentrating on his movements.

You let your hand wander down his neck, caressing his chest, while your touch got more and more unfocused. A groan escaped him when you skimmed one of his nipples, his eyes opening again. He shifted against you, hitting a new spot inside you.  
“Lin,” your moan trailed off as he picked up the pace. It was almost painful but also enough to make you feel gloriously alive. This time you both kept the eye contact, an intimate gesture that brought you closer and closer to the brink of pleasure.

Lin’s thrusts became faster and pressure was building in your stomach, especially since the new angle he had established stimulated your clit every time your hips met. You tried to focus on his eyes but felt yourself slipping away, not being able to concentrate at all anymore. Lin leaned down again, giving you a kiss and smirking. How was he still able to do this?

“Do you want to come?” His growl almost sent you over the edge then and there but you still mustered to nod. How, you didn't know. The pressure inside you kept building and you finally babbled an answer.  
“Yes, please. Lin, I-“

He quieted you with another kiss and gathered speed, before burying his face against your shoulder. He thrust a few more times until you finally felt that sweet sensation building near your navel. You gave into the sensation and felt your vision white out, actually screaming his name, not caring if the neighbors were able to hear you.

Still riding your high, you could feel Lin stiffen and shuddering above you, letting out a low moan when he came. He barely avoided falling onto you and you giggled when he opened his eyes again, kissing you softly.  
“That was… amazing,” he whispered and you winced when he slipped out of you. He distracted you with another kiss, filled with gratitude. You returned it, feeling completely content. Lin rolled over and pulled you into his arms, slowly stroking your back.

“How are you feeling?” He questioned and you looked up at him.  
“Honestly? I feel amazing. That was… great.”  
“Great?!” Lin laughed beneath you and you joined in.  
“Yeah?”  
“Wow, you really know how to make me question myself, thanks for that (Y/N),” Lin chuckled and you rolled your eyes.

“You know what I’m talking about. Sorry, I’m not good at thinking about something sexy to say after, well… this.”  
Lin propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at you with affection in his eyes, something you had never really noticed before.  
“It’s ok. I was just teasing you. I have to get rid of the evidence (you both chuckled), so… do you need anything? Water? A bite to eat? We do have that amazing cake in the kitchen.”

“Don’t even think about it, Lin! But water sounds lovely,” you answered and he got up. He didn’t bother with pants, so you let out a low whistle as he made his way out the room. It didn’t take him long to return and he presented you with a glass of water. You had wrapped yourself in the sheets, now sipping on the water as you watched him look for his sweatpants.

“They are over there,” you finally commented, remembering his never-ending search for his scarf. Lin gave you an amused look, slipping into his pants and joining you on the bed. He was quiet for a while but you could hear him think.  
“What is it, Lin?”

He turned to you, whipping his hair out of his face. You smiled, that hair though. He noticed it but did not say anything, instead, he grew a bit more serious.  
“I didn’t want to pressure you,” he then said and you put the glass down, asking yourself why he would say something like this.  
“You didn’t pressure me, Lin.”

“Really? I kind of attacked you.”  
You could see his cheeks turning red, a stark contrast to the Lin you had experienced just a few minutes ago.  
“You did, but… I didn’t really mind, I thought that was obvious.”

“It was but I still wanted to make sure,” Lin admitted, wrapping one of your strands around his finger, before continuing, “Maybe you will have to do the attacking next time? I remember something about skillful hands?”  
You bit your lip and he chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss against your lips.

This time your lips were moving lazily against each other, the heat had died down, but you could still feel butterflies in your stomach. When Lin let go, you barely stifled a yawn.   
“Ready to get some sleep now?” His question was met with a sleepy nod but before you were ready to close your eyes, you reached for the shirt he had given to you.

“Ah, the shirt that started everything,” Lin commented and you shook your head at him. He was ridiculous. You both got comfortable under the sheets, your head lying on his chest, feeling his heartbeat close to your ear. You were almost ready to fall asleep when you heard him, his own voice sounding tired.

“You probably shouldn’t bring that shirt with you on our Thanksgiving trip. I don’t want to leave a bad first impression, you know?”  
“Oh my god. Lin!”  
You could feel him laugh against your cheek but the thought of having wild sex in your brother’s home made your skin crawl.

“Relax, I am only joking,” Lin said and rubbed your shoulder reassuringly. You let out a long breath and closed your eyes, was he trying to stress you? A few minutes went by and you were already falling asleep when you heard him draw in another long breath.   
“Or am I?”

That man was ridiculous.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys. We have reached chapter 30. How did that happen? And it's far from being over. Thank you all so much for sticking with my story, I really appreciate it. (And will try to keep updating regularly)
> 
> But now, let's continue! :)

When you woke up the bed was empty beside you. Lin must have been awake for some time now, his side of the bed was almost cold and you stretched, regretting not having woken up with him. In an instant, you remembered the night before, feeling your face grow hot. It was nothing to be embarrassed about, you knew that, but it felt surreal.

First of all, he had seen you naked and vulnerable. Second of all, you had finally seen him naked. The thought made you giggle like a school girl but you couldn’t help it. Sure, movies and books led girls to believe that their perfect partner had to be someone extremely muscular and handsomely rugged — Lin was none of these things (you felt a bit bad thinking this, but it was true) but you were still falling for him. Seriously falling, you were past the point of no return to speak in Phantom of the Opera terms.

Deciding that you should probably not tell him this first thing in the morning, you got up and looked for comfortable socks. After putting on the ones that were lying next to your discarded clothes from yesterday, you actually got up and quickly put your hair into a loose bun. You were able to hear Lin rumble about in the kitchen and followed the sound. Almost the same procedure as every morning.

Your boyfriend, it felt good to call him that, looked up when you entered the kitchen. He had put on a long-sleeved shirt but was wearing the same sweatpants as the night before. The smell of coffee was in the air and you smiled at Lin, He returned it and moved away from the kitchen counter, on which you were then able to spot two mugs.

“Good morning, I was just about to bring you coffee,” Lin said and took a step toward you.  
“Seems like I couldn’t wait,” you responded and he pulled you closer to him. The feeling between you had changed after yesterday. It wasn’t weird or strange, if possible, it was even more comfortable and when Lin pressed his lips against yours, you immediately returned the gesture.

“How are you feeling?” Lin asked when he let go of you again, turning around to hand you one of the mugs. You cradled it in your hands and took a sip before answering.  
“Uhm… Good, is that what you want to hear? Or…”  
Lin chuckled, now clutching his own cup of coffee.  
“It’s not an interrogation (Y/N) but I am glad to hear that you’re good. I’m feeling pretty good myself,” he gave you a suggestive eyebrow wiggle and you laughed.

“You’re the worst,” your comment was met with a snort and you shook your head at your boyfriend’s antics.  
You had both sat down at this point and Lin was stretching. His hair was back in a ponytail and you watched the way his throat moved while he drank another sip of coffee. Ok, this was starting to get weird. Lin, luckily, began talking again.

“I have a show today. What’s your plan?”  
“Technically, I am supposed to move out today. I haven’t seen my apartment in a week. And I don’t want to continue imposing myself on you. Work also starts really early for me on Mondays, so I should leave around the same time that you will leave for the theater, to settle in again and get used to my own bed.”

Lin nodded thoughtfully.  
“What about the cake?”  
You laughed, “That’s all you have to say? It would be great if you could take it to the theater and give it to Daveed?”  
“Will do. And no, that’s not all. I just cannot imagine you not being here. Which sounds creepy now that I’ve said it.”  
“There’s a reason why you’re still Mr. Creepy in my contacts,” you commented and took a slurping sip of your coffee.

“Good to know. But I mean it. I will miss your squishy face in the morning,” Lin said and you chuckled. You grew serious again, thinking about how your routine would change.  
“I will miss you too. But it’s better for now. We have barely been dating, what? Two weeks? A week?”  
“Feels like more, to be honest,” Lin voiced your exact thoughts and you smiled at each other.

“Still, moving slow doesn’t seem to be the way for us. So I really should get back to my apartment to at least have some sense of normalcy.”  
“I have a free Monday, as usual. I could swing by after you’re finished at the bakery?” Lin was looking at you with puppy dog eyes and you sighed. How could you refuse him?  
“Alright.”  
“I could probably also sleep over? You said that I should spend some time at your apartment. Why not until we leave on Thursday?”

You smiled and eventually nodded, “Alright. Bring everything you need to survive. I will provide a bed. And food. By the way, do you have a suitcase for our little Thanksgiving Trip? I only have really big ones or backpacks.”  
“Sure do. I’ll bring it. I don’t know about your fancy dress though. And my suit. How are we supposed to pack them?”

You cleared your throat, “Don’t laugh now. I don’t have a carry on suitcase, but I do own a garment bag that can be folded and is therefore within the regulations for a carry on item.”  
Lin hid his smile, unsuccessfully to be honest, “So, you don’t own a suitcase, but a garment bag.”  
“It was a birthday present. I got it from my mum. We are a really fun family if you haven’t noticed by now.”  
You sighed and put your mug down. Hopefully everything would be ok during Thanksgiving.

“Then we’ll take my suitcase and you garment bag. Sounds ok. By the way, since we were talking about your birthday just now, when is it?”  
“Real smooth Lin.”  
“Hey, you can just google mine, I have to ask!”  
“Ohhh… the perks of having a famous boyfriend!”

Lin had gotten up to put a bagel in the toaster but was still watching you.  
“Come on. Mine’s January 16th.”  
“December 25th,” you mumbled.  
“Wait… that’s Christmas.”  
“My family tends to remind me of that. I was always one of the lucky ones that only had one day during the year on which I got presents. It’s ok,” you knew that you sounded bitter.

Your thoughts were momentarily interrupted by the bagel that popped out of the toaster. Lin spread cream cheese on both halves and put one of them in front of you.  
“And how was your last birthday?” he asked and you took a bite. Chewing gave you time to think.

“Ok, I guess. It’s never really addressed. I see my family for Christmas, usually, and I do get a cake and they sing Happy Birthday, but after that, the family gets together for the main festivities. I get a small present at the beginning of the day but after that, it’s Christmas business.”  
It didn’t bother you that much anymore, as a child you hated it. Everyone got twice the amount of presents over the year while you didn’t. It sounded spoiled, you knew that.

“You deserve more presents than anyone else on that day! Luckily, this year you have me and I will make sure that you will have an unforgettable birthday!”  
You had to smile at Lin’s optimism.  
“That’s sweet but not necessary. I’ll manage.”  
“You don’t get to decide. I will prepare something. You will only have to lean back and enjoy the day.”

“So we’ll celebrate Christmas together?” You asked and now he was the one to falter.  
“Uh… We don’t have to, if you don’t want to. I usually celebrate with my family but we can do it on our own. You could also go and see your family and I could accompany you?”  
“Oh dear god, no. I’d love to not spend Christmas with them. Especially since Stephan and Diane will probably only stop by for a few hours on Christmas Day. I never thought that I would say that, but those hours would be the ones I would actually enjoy. Now that we are trying to get along.”

Lin put his bagel down, “Ok, I have a proposition. It depends on how the next weeks will play out, but hear me out. I love celebrating the holidays with my family. You know, my mum and dad, my sister, other people, there are too many to count, to be honest. I did hear that my sister will not celebrate with us this year, she and her husband have other things planned, sooo…”  
“Yeah?” He really had to learn to get to the point.

“If my parents like you, which they will, and if you like them, hopefully, we could celebrate Christmas together?”  
You were a bit speechless, which Lin immediately took as a bad sign. He began babbling, “I know, it’s a bad idea. Way too early and—“  
He stopped when you held up a hand.  
“Lin, I would love that.”

You could hear him exhale with relief.  
“I will ask them, let me text my dad.”  
Before you were able to do anything, he had already got his phone and was typing furiously. Once that man started typing, there was no way to stop him, you knew that. He finished the text and turned back to his bagel.  
“Ok, so we’ll part later. But I will be at you apartment tomorrow. I guess I can manage that,” Lin said after a few bites and you grinned into your mug.

“You have to manage. I will manage too,” you agreed after taking another sip.  
“We sound like teenagers. I would be disgusted if it weren’t me,” Lin laughed and before you could say something in return, his phone vibrated. He picked it up and took only a few seconds to read the new message.

“So, my dad says he and my mum would like to meet you before committing to Christmas, but since I have told them so many good things about you, they are already half convinced. I am also supposed to tell you that they cannot wait to meet you. My dad asks if Monday after Thanksgiving would be ok with us for dinner?”  
You nodded, already feeling nervous. You knew that Lin’s parents would be a lot more welcoming than your parents but still, what if they didn’t like you?

As usual, Lin picked up on your mood swing.  
“Before you ask, my parents will love you. How could they not? If I do, they will like you too. So, relax. I should be the one who’s scared.”  
He grinned but you could definitely sense a slight nervousness in his tone.  
“Are you scared?”  
“Maybe a little bit. But I managed Stephan. So I should be ok.”

You both laughed, remembering the weekend, then you nodded.  
“You will be fine. They’ll be impressed that I got myself a successful boyfriend.”  
You winked at Lin and he put down his mug.  
“I hope so. What’s even the point of doing everything I do if I cannot impress someone’s parents with it?”  
“Exactly,” you agreed.

“So… I should probably shower. Do you want to pack your bag while I improvise a little Broadway show under the water?”  
“Sure. But be prepared for my return. I will bring shampoo, shower gel, all the good stuff.”  
“Cannot wait,” Lin didn’t sound sarcastic as he got up and pressed a kiss to your forehead.  
“Don’t worry about the mugs and dishes, I’ll take care of it after work.”

You finished your coffee while Lin was on his way to the bathroom (already humming a tune) and left it on the table, as he had advised you. It really was time to gather your things, which filled you with a strange sensation of regret. You knew that you would soon return and that Lin was about to witness everyday life in your apartment, but during the past two weeks, you had begun to feel at home here.

Packing didn’t actually take that long since Lin had packed your bag with only the necessities as he had cared for you while you were sick. You could still remember the day you were practically forced by him to move in for a week, after he gave you the by now infamous concussion. Your eye had definitely calmed down, it was still a bit red but nothing that make up could not take care of. 

You were still examining the eye in the mirror above one of the dressers as Lin strolled back into his bedroom. He was wearing jeans and a sweater, his hair still damp. As you had learned by now, he wasn’t the biggest advocate of blowdrying his hair.

“What are you doing?” Lin asked loudly and you almost poked yourself in the eye.  
“Oh! Lin!”  
“Sorry,” you could hear him giggle behind you and turned around.  
“I was checking my black eye. Looks better now, doesn’t it?”

He stepped a bit closer to you, acting like a doctor.  
“Let me see. It has definitely gone down, and it’s not as colorful anymore. Thank god. I wouldn’t want to meet your parents and explain to them how I gave you that injury.”  
“It’s ok. It was an accident.”  
“Still—“  
“I know, you still feel guilty. But, to look at this from a positive point of view, without that black eye, we would probably not be together right now.”

Lin smiled down at you, “That’s true. And it would be a pity.”  
He tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear and let his hand rest on your cheek. You immediately leaned into his touch while his thumb began to lightly stroke the area around your eye.  
“Thank god for my unbelievable strength,” he added and you chuckled.  
“I won’t mention that you simply hit a fortunate spot, but you do you, Hercules.”

Lin didn't say anything else, he simply tilted up your chin and let your lips meet. The kiss quickly grew more intense. Lin pressed himself closer to you, trapping you between him and the wall. You let your hands wander over his chest, up his neck. They began tracing his jaw and running through his damp hair. Lin let go of you, breathing heavily.

“I just got out the shower,” he mused and you nodded thoughtfully.  
“We should stop, sounds reasonable. I should get back to packing. I also need to shower. So many things to do.”  
You walked away from Lin and heard him laugh behind you.  
“You are cold, ice cold,” Lin muttered and you turned around.  
“I wouldn’t say that, but ok.”

Lin passed the time you spent packing the rest of your things on his laptop and when you told him that you would go and shower, he was already deep into writing a new song. He only nodded to you, you knew that he hadn’t really heard you but that was alright. Showering didn’t take long but you were surprised to see that it was already noon when you checked your phone.

Daveed had texted you and asked if Lin would bring the cake, so you sent him a quick text telling him that he should expect the delivery. He followed up with a smiling emoji and you put the phone away again. Lin was still busy working, you could hear him hum under his breath and from time to time, he even sang a few words to himself. It was adorable and you spent a good deal of time watching him from the threshold into the bedroom.

He finally noticed your presence and looked up.  
“Are you watching me? Maybe I should call you Mrs. Creepy.”  
“Miss Creepy, if you please.”  
“Ok, ok. Wait, what time is it?”  
“Around noon.”  
“Shoot. I have to leave soon. Which means… You will leave soon.”  
“That’s right,” you agreed and he closed his laptop.

“Did you get some work done?” You asked, checking your bags one last time. If you had forgotten something, you at least knew where to look.  
“Not really. I came up with a few more lines but the song is far from being finished. I’ll play it for you some time, ok? When I have a rough draft.”

“What’s it for again?”  
“A new Disney movie. I cannot tell you anything more I’m afraid.”  
“I understand. Secrets. So intriguing.”  
He wiggled his eyebrows and you smiled.

“We should probably get going, right?” Lin voiced your thoughts.  
“Yeah.”  
“I’ll call you an Uber. I’ll take the subway.”  
“Spoken like a true New Yorker,” you tried to joke. It was ridiculous that you felt so weird about leaving. You would only be apart for a little more than a day and were behaving like two lovesick teenagers.

Lin was once again looking for his scarf while you were dragging your bag into the hallway.  
“Do you know where my scarf is?”  
“This time I really don’t. In your sleeve?”  
He shook his head and you both began looking for it.  
“We should probably sew it to your coat’s collar. Maybe Helen can do that,” you didn’t think before speaking and once you uttered her name, you abruptly fell silent.

Lin also stopped looking.  
“Uh… I thought we wouldn’t talk about her anymore?”  
“She still exists. No use in not talking about her. And I really didn’t mean it in a bad way. She is the one that can sew. I can barely sew a button back on. My mother always told me that no one will marry me because I cannot even handle something like that.”

You sighed and Lin slipped into his coat, not bothering with his scarf anymore.  
“I don’t want this to sound like a proposal, but I don’t really care. I know people that can sew. So we will be fine. Or we could just buy something new if a shirt loses a button.”  
“Good to know!”  
You both laughed and his phone vibrated. 

“Your ride is here,” Lin said and shouldered your bag.  
“Time to leave…” you followed him out the door and down the stairs, feeling strange to leave the apartment.  
When you reached the sidewalk, a woman greeted you. She was your driver and you told her that you would quickly say goodbye to your boyfriend before getting into the car.

“So…” Lin had buried his hands in his pockets and looked at you, “Time to say goodbye. For now. I’ll be back tomorrow to annoy you.”  
“You could never annoy me,” you said and he laughed.  
“I wouldn’t say that. Let’s talk about it again in two months. Let’s see if you want to get rid of my by then.”

You shook your head and pulled him closer. He followed your silent command and leaned down, pressing his lips to yours. This time your kiss was gentle and when you broke away from it Lin kept looking at you.  
“I’ll text you. Let me know when you’re home, ok?”  
You nodded, letting go of his coat.  
“I will. See you tomorrow, alright? And don’t forget Daveed’s cake!”

“Thank god you said that. I would have left without it,” Lin smiled and gave you one last kiss.  
“So, time to get going. I’ll see you.”  
“Samesies,” you muttered and opened the car door. Time to go home again.

 

When you arrived at your apartment, you realized that you had actually missed your home. Unpacking could wait, you did a quick check, making sure that everything was still as you left it. Nothing had been moved, you didn’t know why someone would bother breaking into your home but still, you were living in New York.

Most of the things in your fridge had expired, which you realized as you looked for something to eat. You would definitely have to go grocery shopping before Lin would arrive the next day. And you should probably clean, after leaving the apartment in such a hurry last week. After cleaning the whole kitchen, which took an hour since you were never really able to stop once you started, you realized that you had promised to text Lin as soon as you got home.

The phone was still in your coat pocket and Lin had already sent you more than one message, complaining that you weren’t paying attention to him. You smiled and quickly typed a response.  
‘Sorry, was busy cleaning for YOU.’  
He got back to you after five minutes, ‘Excuses, excuses. But, everything okay with you?’

You sat down on your couch, finally settling in again.  
‘Everything’s good here. Will probably go to sleep early today, my alarm is already set for tomorrow. Way too early.’  
‘Early?’  
‘5 am’ you shot back and he answered with a green-faced emoji.

You didn’t know what else to text, so you quickly prepared a cup of tea and changed into your pajamas. It was almost three by now and even though you wouldn’t go to bed before Lin finished the show, you wanted to feel comfortable.

When you checked your phone again, he had, of course, sent you another text.  
‘So… what are you doing right now? I’ll be on stage in about ten minutes.’  
‘Believe it or not, I will watch a movie, Can you guess what kind?’  
‘Romantic comedy?’  
‘Bingo!’

You could almost hear him laugh but didn’t want to distract him, so you wished him good luck for the show and put your phone away, making him promise to text you once he was finished. The show’s run time made it possible for you to watch The Proposal, even after watching it again and again, you still laughed about the same old jokes. You also realized that it was great to have some time to yourself, although you still missed Lin.

After preparing another cup of tea, brushing your teeth and laying out your clothes for the next day, you settled into bed, ready to read a few pages in one of the many books you had started at some point and were now strewn all over your apartment. You had finished your tea when your phone beeped again, alerting you to a new text message.

You had actually received two, one from Daveed in which he thanked you for the cake and promised to take a picture of the brunch table and one from Lin.  
‘I’m home again. Feels weird without you.’  
You couldn’t help but smile, Lin could be really sweet.  
‘Same over here. Although you’ve never been here. Apart from that weird night when you stayed over and I was struck down by the concussion. But that was not a real sleepover.’

‘It was indeed weird. Tomorrow we’ll be normal, agreed?’  
‘Totally,’ you shot back and stretched, putting your book away.  
‘Shouldn’t you sleep soon?’ Lin then asked and you sighed.  
‘I should. But I haven’t been on the bakery schedule for some time, so it will be hard to fall asleep before eleven or so.’

Lin left you on read for a few minutes but finally got back to you before you grew too impatient.  
‘So, what are you doing?’  
‘Lying in bed. I tried to read a book but then a certain someone began texting me.’  
‘I guess that certain someone is me?’  
‘Maybe.’  
It was weird to communicate via text but you liked it. Lin’s personality definitely still came through. You weren’t prepared for the next text though.  
‘What are you wearing?’


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of a filler today but stay tuned :)

‘What are you wearing?’  
You gulped and kept looking at the words before you. Was Lin messing with you? You should probably answer, right?  
‘My pajamas.’  
That was probably the wrong answer. 

You waited with bated breath, especially when the grey bubble appeared, indicating that Lin was typing. Soon after that, his message appeared in your chat.  
‘Wow, sounds sexy. Are they extra soft?’  
You laughed out loud, especially after he followed his text with a winking emoji.

‘They are indeed. I don’t think that that’s what you were aiming for, right?’  
‘Not really but I do think it’s cute. I was hoping for something along the lines of naked.’  
You scoffed, typing an answer.  
‘You know that I don’t sleep naked. You were bound to experience disappointment, Miranda.’

‘It’s ok. And I won’t bug you anymore. I have learned that being addressed by my last name only means trouble. You have to be up so early tomorrow. I should let you sleep.’  
You thought about what to respond and finally settled on the truth.  
‘I’ll sleep in a bit. We can be naked some other time if that’s ok with you.’  
‘Of course,’ he shot back immediately, ‘I’ll watch another episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and go to sleep after that, too. I’ll see you tomorrow. Miss you.’  
‘I miss you too.’

You put your phone away and turned off the light. It was true, you missed Lin. You missed sleeping next to him, feeling his steady breath on your neck and the warmth he gave you. But you also knew that he would be back after work finished the next day and with that reassuring thought, you were able to fall asleep quickly.

 

Arriving on time the next day was nothing short of a miracle. When your alarm had awoken you at 5, you were convinced that you were still dreaming. Only after noticing that you were back in your own bed, reality had set in. It had taken all your strength to hop in the shower and put on your uniform, but you were glad to see Cat again when you stepped into the bakery.

“(Y/N)! Finally, you’re back! How’s the head?” Cat welcomed you with open arms and pulled you into a tight hug.  
“It’s ok. How have you managed without me?”  
“It was a nightmare. But you’re back now, so I can sleep a little more peaceful at night. I’ll also make sure that you’re not overexerting yourself. Someone has to keep an eye on you.”

You chuckled, right. Cat didn’t know about Lin. He wasn’t up yet, it was shortly after 6. You had sent him a good morning text but knew that he wouldn’t answer for some time. There were also still 30 minutes before you were due to open the bakery.  
“Cat, can I tell you something?”  
“Sure,” she responded, busy with a flower arrangement.

What followed was a very short explanation of who had taken care of you. Cat went through a number of emotions. First of all, she congratulated you for finally finding someone. Then she laughed at the idea of fooling your brother. This turned into shock when you told her about following through with the plan. Finally, she clapped her hands when you reached the part where you and Lin finally got your heads out of your asses and really kissed.

“So, let me get this straight. At first, you pretended to be in a relationship. Then he gave you a concussion. And now, you are actually a couple? And he is the guy who wrote Hamilton. You do realize that you will now have to get me tickets, right?”  
You laughed and stocked the last tray with pastries. Ready to open the door.  
“I’ll see what I can do. But it feels good to tell someone apart from Daveed.”

“I at least already kind of met that guy. He called when you got the concussion. I feel honored that you told me.”  
“You’re actually a good friend of mine Cat,” you said and walked to the door of the bakery, unlocking it.  
“I appreciate that,” your boss/friend said and you both giggled.

The first two hours were filled with serving busy customers looking for coffee and a sweet kick that would hopefully fuel them during their workday. As usual, you left the main salesroom of the bakery at some point, to work on other projects. One of the hired helpers, usually students, had arrived too, so you were able to divide the work between the two of you.

Cat had made you aware of a wedding on Wednesday, which would lead to you not being in the bakery that day, at least not the whole day. On those days you would arrive about an hour before you had to leave for the wedding, to make sure that everything was alright with the cake, after that you were responsible for getting the masterpiece to the location. Cat had already begun with the base of the cake and it was your job to assemble the whole thing and add decorations.

Before starting on the dainty sugar flowers, you checked your phone. Lin had finally gotten back to you.  
‘Good morning to you too. Wow, that was early.’  
You chuckled and took a sip of the coffee you had taken with you.  
‘I told you that I had an early start. But I will also be finished with work at three. When are you planning on arriving at my humble abode? I still have to get something to eat and stuff like that.’

You put your phone away for a few minutes to gather everything you needed, you still had to work after all. When you looked at it again, Lin had bombarded you with several messages. You scrolled through them, shaking your head.  
‘Let’s just get a takeaway today.’  
‘Oh, I forgot. I’ll probably swing by around five? Have to get some writing done until then but after that, I am yours.’  
‘Hello?’‘Are you ignoring me?’  
‘Are you NOT looking forward to me staying with you?!’

You quickly typed back an answer,  
‘I am SO looking forward to you staying with me. Sorry, had to work. I should actually get back to those damned sugar flowers, they will be the death of my nerves. I am all for takeaway later, still have to get some things but I should manage, especially since you’ll give me some time between work and you coming over. Sending you lots of inspiration and stuff.’

Lin answered you with a picture of his pouting face from his desk. You sent one of your work table, after that you put your phone away. It was definitely time to get started on those flowers. The bride had decided on decorating the whole thing with them and you had to get most of them done by the end of your workday. You still had to coat the cake with a special glaze tomorrow, to which the flowers should stick. Were you confident about making roughly 50 of these flowers? No. Would you do it? Sure.

 

When three o’clock rolled around Cat alerted you to it by tapping you lightly on the shoulder. For the past few hours, you had been in a sugar frenzy, making sure that everything looked right, constantly bending over the numerous flowers before you, checking for cracks.  
“(Y/N), you can stop now.”  
You wiped your hands on your apron and looked at the small army of flowers before you, you really had made more than enough, so if some should look weird after drying, you should be safe.  
“I won’t be mad if I never have to make those flowers again,” you admitted and Cat laughed.

“Noted, so I won’t post too many pictures of that particular cake to our Instagram page,” Cat was still smiling and you nodded thankfully.  
“You’re the best.”  
“Since I am the best, I will take care of cleaning and locking up, so you can get back to resting and entertaining that boyfriend of yours.”  
“I am not his entertainment,” you said but realized that she was only joking, “But thank you Cat. I will never moan about sugar flowers again.”  
“You and I know that that won’t be the case, but alright.”

Cat and you spend another few minutes planning the next day, after that you were able to leave. You hid the flour(or rather flower)-stained uniform under your coat and decided to do the shopping on your way home. If you left the subway one stop before your usual one, you could hop into the supermarket and get the necessities.

Even the necessities were way too many things and you left the supermarket with three full bags, thankful to only live around the corner. You had bought everything, from milk over bread to sugar, and knew that you would have to plan better once you would undoubtedly spend more time at Lin’s place and vice versa — having your food rotting in your cupboards really wasn’t a good thing.

When you finally crossed your doorstep, you immediately put the bags onto your kitchen counter. The sooner you would get to unpacking, the sooner you could catch a shower. It was already four, so you quickly put away the groceries and made sure that everything looked good in your kitchen. After that, you peeled off your uniform and put it in the washing machine, which was installed in your kitchen unit, quite conveniently. 

On your way to the bathroom, half naked, you hummed a tune, only to realize that it was Guns and Ships. Sadly, you weren’t able to rap Daveed’s parts but you at least tried. Taking a shower finally relaxed you, you had enjoyed being back at work but the early start and being back to physically function had been harder than you had anticipated. The warm water efficiently loosened your stiff back muscles and you rolled your head from side to side, enjoying the warmth and comfort the water gave you.

After an eternity under the shower, you toweled yourself down and put on a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. Lin had just texted you that he was on his way, which gave you approximately 30 more minutes until he was due to arrive at your door. You quickly changed your bedding and vacuumed your small apartment, that would have to do.

Like clockwork, your doorbell rang at five and you took a deep breath before answering. Why were you nervous, Lin had already been to your place?! Maybe because this time your senses weren’t clouded by that damned concussion. You probably shouldn’t be too hard on it though, without it, you wouldn’t be with Lin by now.

You pondered these thoughts as you waited for him to climb the stairs but finally saw his dark hair appear in the stairwell. He was a little bit out of breath when he reached you, probably due to the suitcase he was carrying. Right, he had brought that thing. He was also carrying his suit in a normal garment bag, which you took from him immediately.  
“I’ll just put this into my wardrobe!”  
With these words you vanished, hearing how Lin closed the door behind him and after putting the suit away, you finally greeted him.

Lin had put the suitcase down and was stretching. He had already hung up his coat and you chuckled when you realized that he was dressed just like you, sweatpants and a t-shirt.  
“Didn’t you get cold outside, with only the t-shirt?” You asked and he shrugged.  
“It was alright. I only walked to the Uber and out again,” he had turned to you and was smiling.

“Hey, you,” you said, slowly, unsure of what to do.   
Lin luckily took matters into his own hands and approached you, reaching for your hand and pulling you towards him.  
“Hey, you. I missed you,” he whispered and you felt your face grow hot.  
“I missed you too. But you’re here now.”  
“Was about time,” Lin responded and pressed a kiss against your forehead.

It was a simple gesture but made you feel secure. He then tilted your chin up with his right hand and brushed your lips with his. You didn’t want to wait any longer and simply put your arms around his neck, pulling him closer and pressing your lips to his, initiating the kiss. You could feel him smile against your mouth but he enthusiastically followed your example. 

Lin and you parted when your stomach began growling loudly, which made you flush.  
“I might have skipped lunch today,” you explained and Lin laughed.  
“You and me both, what do you want to eat?!”  
You settled on Dominos and after choosing which pizza to order, Lin took care of directing the food to your apartment. After ordering he looked around.  
“Doesn’t look that different from when I’ve been here the last time.”

You sighed, “Don’t remind me of that. I am quite happy to see that the eye has gone down. The headache has also vanished, but I am still embarrassed to think about that day. You witnessed me puking!”  
Lin sat down at your kitchen counter, “That was actually fine. I was worried about you. You also have to remember that I was already quite… well, I already liked you a lot. So I didn’t see any problem with that. Really.”

“If you say so,” you answered and he laughed.  
“You’ll have to believe me!”  
You shrugged and decided to change the topic, not wanting to talk about that particular day, “How was work for you? Writing?”  
“Well, I managed to get some things done. But it’s hard at the moment.”

He looked at his hands, obviously unsure about how much he was able to tell you.   
“Did you manage to write a bit more of that one song you were talking about?”  
Now Lin sighed, burying his head in his hands.  
“I already have the chorus. It’s about a girl that longs to see the world and, I guess, we can all kind of relate to that? I know where I want that song to go and I have some of the lines. The chorus is set in stone, I really like it. But there’s a faster part in the verse and I still have to come up with something for that.”

You put a hand on his back, sitting on the chair next to him.  
“It will come to you. At one point you will take a turn and suddenly the line will be there. I guess that’s how songwriting works from time to time, right?”  
He looked at you, “Wait, what did you say?”  
“I said that songwriting can be hard?” You didn’t know what he wanted to hear again.

“No no, the part before that!”  
You looked at him, what was wrong with that man?  
“Uh… are you talking about the taking turns thing? That’s just something my literature teacher used to say,” he was already out of his seat by the time you finished your sentence.  
“I need like… 15 minutes of thinking time, is that ok?!”

“Sure,” you didn’t know what he was about to do, so you observed him. He got out his laptop, was he ever going anywhere without that? Probably not. In a matter of seconds he was wearing headphones, apparently listening to a melody he had recorded for writing. You decided to stay seated, checking your phone, the pizza would also arrive soon. Lin didn’t seem to mind you watching him.

After another ten minutes, which you spend scrolling through Twitter, you were able to hear your boyfriend whisper words under his breath, tapping his leg and singing in a comically high voice. You tried to keep your laughter as quiet as possible, curious to hear what he was mumbling. You could make out “Every turn I take … something-something… something I make… and so on and so on. Need to come up with— wait! Where I long to be!”

There was definitely a melody to his words, be it that many of them were fillers at this point in time. You smiled at Lin, he was still immersed in the song, it really was amazing to actually witness him working. Your doorbell rang, something Lin didn’t notice, but you slipped off your chair and made sure that the pizza was properly delivered to you. 

After tipping the delivery guy, you made your way back to your small living room area. Lin finally reacted, he was probably smelling the pizza. He pulled the headphones off his ears and made a grabbing motion towards you.  
“Gimme!”  
“Wait a second!” You shook your head, was he really a fully grown man or a man child? You knew that it was probably the latter.

Once you handed him a piece, Lin had put away his laptop.  
“Got a new idea?”  
“I used that taking turns thing you said. If it stays in the song, you may be able to say that you inspired me.”  
“My greatest achievement in life!” You declared and saluted him with you pizza piece.

Lin took a bite and shook his head, “I wouldn’t say that that’s your greatest achievement but it’s certainly something!”  
You both giggled.  
“You will have to show me that song at some point. I can keep quiet, you know that, right?”  
He grew a bit more serious before answering you, “It’s not that I don’t trust you but my contract is quite… well, cut-throat.”

"I understand," you said, taking another bite.  
"If I could, I would tell you,” Lin quickly threw in and you smiled.  
“I know, it's alright. Don’t worry.”  
He didn’t look like he stopped thinking about it, so you came up with something else.  
“How about this? You won’t tell me anything about it — but I can stay with you when you’re working on it from time to time? I liked it, it was comfortable, even if it only lasted 15 minutes.”  
“Deal,” he agreed and both of you nodded.

After finishing the pizza, it was barely half past six, you already felt tired. The five am start really wasn’t great and since you weren’t used to it right now, it made you even more exhausted. You were glad that you had used the pizza box as plates, so you wouldn’t have to do the dishes. Lin watched you while you put the boxes away.

“Are you tired?”  
You looked at him, surprised, “Yes, why? I didn’t even yawn.”  
Lin came up behind you and put his arms around your waist.  
“Just observing,” he whispered into your ear, “I know you a little bit by now. When you get tired your movements become just a tiny bit more sloppy and you don’t really care about how things look. Just look at the pizza boxes. They are not completely aligned, one of them is skewed.”

He was right, the upper box wasn’t fully aligned with the one beneath it.  
“And that’s something I do?”  
“Yes. At my apartment you would leave doors open, normally you either open them completely or shut them. You would also not fold your clothes. It’s the little things.”  
His breath made the hairs on your neck stand up. One of his hands had slipped under the front of your shirt and began to softly caress the skin of your stomach.

You enjoyed being so close to Lin, feeling his goatee scraping against your neck. He immediately realized this, breathing kisses against your sensitive skin. You gave him better access to your neck by cocking your head to one side. Lin shifted against you, pulling you close and continuing the kissing. His other hand had wandered to the waistband of your sweatpants, teasing you by barely touching the skin above it.

You wanted to turn around to him to tell him to cut it out, but when you actually turned nothing came out but a long yawn. Lin actually snorted with laughter and you felt your face grow hot. He was still giggling after you put your head in your hands.  
“Oh, this is so embarrassing,” you mumbled and he peeled your fingers from your face.  
“It’s ok. I am used to you not reacting in the way I was hoping for. You had an early start, don’t be too hard on yourself.”

“I already shut you down yesterday,” you protested and he gave you a stern look.  
“Listen, you never cut me down. You just tell me that you’re not ready or willing to do something at that moment. Right now, I can see that you are tired. So, let’s go to bed. You need sleep and I would probably benefit from getting to bed a little earlier, too.”

You sighed, still feeling embarrassed. Lin had taken a step back and continued to watch you.  
“What’s wrong, (Y/N)?” He asked and you threw your hands up.  
“I just don’t know why you are ok with this?”  
He grinned, “With what?”  
He got closer again and you gulped, “Well… with me not going along with, you know what I’m talking about!”

Lin laughed and took another step towards you. You took one back, stopped by your kitchen counter.  
“You want to know why I am ok with it?”  
You nodded.  
“First of all, because I don’t expect you to go along with everything I do. I also don’t want you to fall asleep, that would hurt my ego. And lastly, because,” he leaned down and pressed a kiss to your temple, “I know that you will find a way to make it up to me. Even if I don’t tell you to.”  
With that, he left you and sauntered into the direction of your bedroom, “Are you coming?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise next chapter will be a little bit more steamy ;)


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for sticking with me and the story! x

When you startled awake you immediately knew that you had beaten your alarm. Lin was still sleeping next to you, an arm thrown around your middle, his regular breath noticeable against your shoulder. You could make out noise from the street outside your window, it was always loud in New York but by now, you were able to differentiate between normal night noise and the beginning day noise. According to the car honking and angry voices, it should be close to 5 by now.

Should you try and get up without waking Lin? Probably, he really didn’t need to get up so early. You carefully lifted his arm and robbed away from the man beside you. After quietly rolling off the bed, you stopped in your tracks and waited. Lin moved slightly, adjusting his sleeping position, but didn’t wake up. Time for you to get ready as quietly as possible.

Showering only took you five minutes, you didn’t need to wash your hair and only really took the shower to try and wake up. At least you wouldn’t have to deal with making sugar flowers today, you only needed to decorate the cake. While brushing your teeth and applying the bare minimum of makeup, you listened to some music, loud enough to enjoy it but quietly enough to not wake Lin. Hopefully.

After putting on another pair of work clothes, you left the bathroom and tiptoed back to your bedroom. The bed was empty.  
“What the…” you were barely able to finish the sentence before someone tapped you on the shoulder.  
“Good morning!”

Lin had snuck up to you and you barely stifled a scream, something that no neighbor would want to hear early in the morning. He was beaming at you, looking surprisingly refreshed.  
“Why are you awake?” You asked, not really grasping that he had gotten out of bed, too.  
“I usually only sleep for around six hours. Since we went to bed really early yesterday I got way more than that. And now I feel amazing!”

You laughed until you realized that you could smell something.  
“Wait… did you make coffee?” You asked and Lin nodded proudly.  
“I reckoned you would want some after getting ready.”  
“You are the best!”  
You threw your arms around your boyfriend and he gave you a quick kiss on your cheek.  
“I know, but it doesn’t hurt to hear you say it.”

Lin followed you into the kitchen where the promised cup of coffee was waiting for you. You grasped it with both hands and inhaled the slightly sour flavor of the drink before you.  
“I really needed this. Just thinking about those flowers makes me angry,” you mumbled and took a first sip. It tasted divine, probably due to your tiredness. (Because nothing would ever be as good as the coffee Lin prepared at his apartment.)

“So, when are you off work today?” Lin asked as he took a seat, watching you smell your coffee.  
“Three as usual.”  
“I’ll have to be at the theater at 6. I will meet with Tommy at 4 to go over a few changes. We also have to think about where to take the show next so I will talk to some people about that…”  
“Lin?” — “Yes?” — “You are rambling again. How is that possible at half past six?”

He chuckled, “Sorry. What I am trying to say is, it would be great if you could swing by during the break maybe? We can grab late dinner after the show ends. If you’re up for that.”  
You thought about it. You really wanted to show up and since you had a few hours between work and going to the theater, you could catch a nap, right?  
“I’ll be there. Late dinner should also work since I will have to work in the afternoon. Wedding.”  
“Demanding bride?” Lin asked and you shrugged.  
“Could be worse. Do you have any preferences for dinner?”

“Let’s just walk the streets and find something?”  
You met Lin’s suggestion with a nod, already thinking about work. Until you realized that you should actually get going.  
“Shit. I need to leave. So… have fun in my apartment.”  
It sounded weird and you knew it. Lin also knew it and smiled.  
“I will. I will also take some time and work. Maybe sleep a bit more, so many possibilities.”

You laughed and pushed the rest of your coffee in his direction. Lin welcomed it and took a sip, probably one of the last two remaining ones in that cup.  
“I’ll leave you to it. Text me if you’re looking for something. Don’t tell me about weird stuff you might find. I guess I’m trying to say, enjoy your day and I’ll see you later.”  
“Right,” Lin nodded and you took a few steps towards him.  
“See you,” you whispered and he leaned down, breathing a soft kiss against your lips.

“Looking forward to it,” he responded once he let go of you.  
“Don’t break anything!” You looked at him sternly, waiting for him to nod. Finally, he followed your silent command and you both snickered. With a last “Goodbye,” you shouldered your bag and left the apartment. Going to work really was a lot easier knowing that you would be back at the theater in the evening. 

After arriving at work, and realizing that Cat had one of her migraine days, so it was best to just leave her be, you got back to the cake. As your boss had mentioned before, the base was ready and waiting for you, so you started on the glaze. It was one of these new and fashionable mirror glazes. You had worked with them a couple of times by now and after another strong coffee, you felt ready to tackle the task. Glazes always made you nervous, they would either turn out great or drive you crazy.

Heating up the sugar, condensed milk and water took some time and while the pot was beginning to simmer, you mixed gelatin with water. That was the other thing you hated about that glaze, way too many ingredients. If you would ever have a wedding, a simple frosting would be all that was needed. After mixing the galantine with the already established glaze, you poured the whole thing over the prepared white chocolate chips.

Melting the chocolate usually took about five minutes, so you took your first small break and checked your phone. Lin had texted you, who’d have thought? — and you eagerly opened the message.  
‘I am bored. I tried to work. I couldn’t come up with anything new. What is wrong with me?’  
That one was quickly followed by another. There wasn’t even a minute between the two.

‘Scratch that, I can use the What is wrong with me part. Success! How’s the baking going?’  
You looked at the pot and took a quick photo for Lin, sending it along with a short message,  
‘Baking is ok if you count making mirror glaze baking. Already looking forward to tonight!’

You put the phone down again and checked the chocolate. It had melted down completely. Now you only had to add the food coloring. Since the bride was going for a more nature-themed cake you had decided on a green glaze. You mixed in the color and waited for the glaze to cool down a bit, before taking on the most daunting part. Pouring it over the cake.

You braced yourself and took hold of the giant pot. It was now or never. In a steady motion, you poured the glaze over the cake, making sure to coat every bit of it. It wasn’t a big cake, something you appreciated, but you still had to pay attention to everything along the way. After emptying the whole bowl, you took a step back. So far, it looked great. You would have to wait for it to dry down significantly, so you decided to take a short break, drink some coffee and simply wait.

Lin didn’t answer any of your texts, so, after waiting for about an hour and checking on the flowers, you came up with another batch of melted chocolate that would only be used for putting the flowers on the cake. Cat was still busy in the shop, she had checked in with you around the end of your break, seemingly feeling better and praising the work you had done so far. Sticking on the flowers was a delicate business but since you had fairly steady hands, you were able to get the job done in the matter of one hour.

“Ok, how are you, my beauty?” You knew that whispering to a cake was weird but you regularly caught yourself doing it. It did look good though. On Wednesday you would only have to add the last few accents, maybe a little bit of glitter or something like that. It was also almost three o’clock and after checking with Cat you were allowed to leave right away, without doing any of the additional cleaning that usually came up during a day full of customers and baking.

 

When you stepped out onto the sidewalk, you realized that Lin had finally texted you.  
‘On my way to the theater now. Lots of meetings. But cannot wait to see you later.’  
You stopped and grinned at your phone, probably looking like a freak, before answering.  
‘I will take a looooong nap and join you later!’  
He got back to you with a smiling emoji and you put your phone away, ready to finally get home.

The first thing you noticed when you opened the door to your apartment was that it smelled as if someone had cooked. Which was weird. After stepping out of your boots and walking into the kitchen area, you realized that someone had indeed cooked. That someone could have only been Lin. He had also put a bright yellow sticky note on your fridge. You pulled it off and began reading,  
‘Had to make something to get me through the day. Enjoy, x’

You opened the fridge, he had put a plate for you in there, full of something which seemed to be pasta with some kind of sauce. You hadn’t realized how hungry you were until your stomach growled at the sight of food. While the food was warming up in the microwave, you quickly looked for your phone, you had to text Lin.

‘I didn’t expect food but I am not mad,’ you typed and he immediately got back to you.  
‘I thought so. Enjoy!’  
‘Should you be texting? In a meeting?’ You shot back and this time he only answered you after you had changed into sweatpants and took a seat on your couch, the steaming plate of pasta in front of you.

‘I should be paying attention. I will now. Get some sleep!’  
You put the phone away again and watched some reality tv while eating, already hearing your bed call out to you. You didn’t have to arrive at the theater for some time, so there was enough time to sleep for a few hours without being stressed out. And you definitely needed it. After finishing the pasta, you simply put the plate away, deciding to do the washing up later, and crawled into your bed. Time to get some shuteye.

 

You had definitely overslept. You knew it as soon as you opened your eyes. Your first glance went to your phone and the unread messages from Lin. He had sent you about five texts, asking if you were awake. Now it was only a few minutes before he had to be on stage and you still needed to get ready before making your way to the theater. You quickly texted him, telling him to break a leg and that you would quickly get ready. Time to test the strength you had alway utilized during your high school days, when you tended to oversleep most days.

After taking a quick shower, mostly to wake up, you slipped into simple black jeans and a black top that was adorned with lace at the neckline. You also put on a loose sweater that was slightly see-through but you didn’t care. You needed to get ready and you were wearing underwear. After blow-drying your hair for about ten minutes you put it into a ponytail and, at the same time, slipped into your boots. Lin had been on stage for 30 minutes by now and you really needed to leave the house. After slipping into your coat and grabbing your bag you left the apartment, not taking the time to catch your breath. That would have to wait.

The subway ride gave you time to check your appearance, so far you did look like you were alive and after getting up at five that was what you were thriving for. When you left the exit near the theater you took a deep breath, you would definitely have to get some coffee once you arrived. You briskly walked towards the blinding theater front, as always, you were overwhelmed by New York at night, everything was loud and bright, you somehow still had to get used to it.

This time, not many people were waiting in front of the stage door, most of them would probably arrive once the show came to a close, so you had no difficulty slipping past them. The guard greeted you and let you pass without checking your ID or anything. By now, you were also able to find Lin’s dressing room without any assistance and once you stepped into it you felt your body relax.

Lin had left the place in disarray, you were able to spot his laptop and most of his clothes strewn all over the room. What had he done? You chuckled and put your coat over a chair. You probably shouldn’t clean up after your boyfriend but after catching your breath, and making a coffee, you decided to gather everything in the room and at least put his clothes in a neat pile. It already looked better.

You still had a few minutes until the break would begin, you could hear the last notes of “Dear Theodosia” over the internal speaker. You were able to turn it off but the few times you had waited backstage, you had enjoyed listening to the show. “Non-Stop” began and you stretched on the couch, sighing. You weren’t tired but you also didn’t feel awake. That would probably change once Lin walked through the door.

As expected he already made a lot of noise by simply arriving.  
“There you are!”  
You laughed and got up. Lin rushed towards you and hugged you fiercely, knocking the breath out of you.  
“Ok, ok. I did not expect a welcome like that!” You chuckled and he took a step back.

“You’ll just have to deal with it,” Lin shrugged and took off his green coat, your beloved green coat, putting it onto a hanger.  
“I will learn to manage,” you admitted and he grinned at you. You knew that he had about 25 minutes in which he was able to relax, after that he had to get ready again and rush to the stage.

“How’s the show so far?” You asked and Lin sighed.  
“It’s going ok. I am quite tired, to be honest. I got more sleep than ever last night but getting up early really took a toll on me. And the fact that you work in the mornings and I work in the evenings, that really sucks,” he said slowly, possibly already anticipating your answer.

“I am sorry. Maybe it was a bad idea to stay with me. I didn’t realize how much my everyday work life would throw you,” you rushed to say, not knowing if you were able to look at him. Was he already regretting this? Lin took a step towards you and reached for your hands.  
“Hey, (Y/N),” he said quietly and you looked up at him, “I don’t mind getting up early. I chose to stay with you. So it’s on me. I also always have a hard time getting up after Mondays, so it’s not your fault, alright?”

You nodded, maybe you were slowly beginning to understand that you were not the bad guy in your relationship. Lin chose to stay with you and he definitely chose to get up as early as you. He watched you thinking about what he said and when you finally looked up at him he smiled. You could also smell the product they put into his hair, which was currently smoothed down. You really liked his hair.

“What are you looking at?” Lin asked and you smiled.  
“Your hair, what else?”  
He joined your laughter, “I would invite you to touch it but I am afraid that it’s really sticky right now. I have to take a long shower when we get home.”  
You caught the mischievous twinkle in his eye as he talked about taking a shower and smirked.  
“I already showered twice today,” you said and Lin shrugged.  
“You can always go for a third time.”

You acted as if you were thinking about it while he let his hands wander to your waist. Your hands had found their place on his chest, playing with the ruffles that peeked over the upper part of the green vest he was wearing. Suddenly an idea came to your mind. You leaned forward, lowering your voice, “When do you have to be back on stage?”

Lin gulped and looked at the clock above the door.  
“In approximately twenty minutes. Why?”  
“Just asking,” you responded and leaned into him, letting your right hand wander up to his jaw. You were already able to notice his labored breathing, feeling his heart beating as quickly as yours through the numerous layers of fabric he was wearing. He wasn’t pulling away though and before he could say anything else, you went with your gut feeling and kissed him.

As your lips met, Lin immediately kissed you back and you knew that you had played your cards right. His arms wrapped around your middle and you could feel every muscle flex beneath your touch as he pressed himself closer to you. You let go of him, not allowing him to kiss you again. Lin raised an eyebrow at your antics to which you smiled.

“Maybe you should sit down,” you suggested. Lin gave you a questioning look but once the words registered in his brain his breath caught in his throat.  
“Wait… what are you implying?”  
You meet his question with another kiss, letting your hand wander down the front of his body, teasing the waistband of his pants. Lin barely flinched and since you didn’t have the time or the patience, you let your hand move to the side of his pants, where you knew a zipper was hidden. Those costumes really weren't extremely sexy (but arguably convenient).

Lin took a step back, “Woah. Ok, um…”  
His gaze met yours, a mixture of curiosity and desire flittering through his eyes.  
“The clock is ticking,” you said, hopefully in a nonchalant way. Why were you so confident all of a sudden? You didn’t know, but you liked it. Especially when Lin didn’t know how to react. While you were still thinking about your superiority (for now at least), he grabbed you by the waist and pulled you after him towards the couch.

He let himself fall on said couch and you took a seat on his lap, straddling him. You lowered your head to trail kisses up his neck, or at least the parts you were able to reach with the collar he was wearing. Lin was already breathing shakily but when your right hand found its way inside his pants his breathing stopped for a second. In turn, you stopped kissing his neck to look at him.

“You do realize that we are in my dressing room, right? Anyone could walk in, exhibit A being Daveed,” Lin got out, panting in-between words. It was amazing to see him so worked up already.  
“That’s a risk we’ll have to take. For your sake,” you replied and he looked at you in disbelief. You were already able to feel how excited he was against your thigh and smirked.  
“Or should I let you walk on stage like this?”  
His eyes had become darker by the second and you could see him fight against his reputability.

When he didn’t answer you, you let your hand brush against the bulge you were feeling beneath your fingers. Lin instantly reacted with a low moan, trying to play off the sudden reaction by clearing his throat. You knew that he would have to try and stay a bit quieter but you could probably get away with what you were doing. Still, there was the risk of being caught and the thought of that and having him completely at your mercy excited you.

Your fingers took a hold of the edge of his pants. As if Lin was able to read your mind, he shifted his weight back, lifting his hips just enough for you to ease the fabric down enough to properly get to what you wanted. You would not have been able to get them off completely anyways, with him still wearing his shoes.  
“Don’t mind the embarrassing socks,” Lin muttered and you grinned, now leaning over him.

One of your hands traced the inside of his thigh with featherlight touches. His muscles began to clench with excitement which made you grin even wider. You let your fingers draw mindless patterns against his skin, deliberately avoiding the place you knew he wanted you to touch. Lin groaned impatiently, his head lying back against the headrest of the couch. Your fingers reached the edge of his underwear, something that let him jostle against your touch once more. You had to admit, you felt pretty smug about the whole thing. By now you were in full control of the situation, Lin had begun to mindlessly respond to your touch despite his fear of being discovered.

With a gentle hold, you pulled him free of the fabric that now only partially covered him, excitement filling you as you saw his thighs clench once more. It was fascinating to observe him. You had never done anything like this before, so out in the open, but the thrill of being possibly caught seemed to make you braver and apparently turned him on even more. There was no way you were going to stop now.

You kept your eyes locked on Lin’s face as you wrapped your hand around his member. Lin’s eyes rolled back and his hips jerked forward at the first feeling of your touch. You could probably just keep doing this for a few minutes and he would come undone. To support your exact thoughts, you moved your wrist once more, leading to Lin letting out a growl, which he quickly stifled with his hand.

“Too much?” You asked and he gave you a warning look.  
“There are other people in the dressing rooms around mine. I don’t want to, oh fuck,” he panted as you moved your hand again.  
“Do you want me to stop?”  
“Don’t you dare!” He got out between clenched teeth and you smiled.

It was a gorgeous sight to see him so turned on so quickly. A thin sheen of sweat had appeared on his face and his throat began to strain against the tight collar. Maybe you should go even further. You wet your lips, which Lin watched with half-closed eyes, and lowered your head to let your tongue tease his tip. Lin immediately reacted by throwing his head back again, unsuccessfully stifling his moan.

You pulled back with a smirk, this was going to be fun. You moved again, tracing a line with your tongue along the underside of his shaft, not letting your lips touch him. You could hear him grown, he was clearly growing impatient. You realized that you didn’t have a lot of time to finish what you started, so you returned your attention to his head, swirling your tongue over it. Your hands had begun to slowly shift up and down his length and without uttering a warning, you took him slowly into your mouth until you couldn’t take any more.

Lin let out a shuddering sigh as you began to take deliberate slow drags up and down. He began whispering your name in a frantic manner, his hand moving towards you, desperate to take hold of anything. You took your time with each bob and he finally settled on grabbing one of the cushions next to him. To speed up the process you let your hands rejoin the movements, stroking what you were not able to fit in between your lips. Lin let go of the cushion again at the sudden extra touch and you smirked.

By now, you were sitting between his open thighs, moving your head up and down and hollowing your cheeks. Lin shifted again as you released him from your mouth, your hands continuing to pump his length. After a gentle kiss against his head, you slowly took him into your mouth again, his hand now crawling towards your head. Soon, you felt fingers tangle in your hair, guiding you carefully but with a force that didn’t allow you to continue the teasingly slow movements you had followed until then.

Still, you weren’t able to hide your smirk, Lin had clearly gown desperate. You weren’t ready to fully give up control though, he was, probably subconsciously, guiding you but you were still in control of your hands. Another touch on the base of his length led to a heavy exhale from the man in front of you and you knew that he was close.

Carefully, you moved your hand to his balls, administering the same light touches as before to them and began to feel Lin struggle beneath you. You hollowed your cheeks once more, letting your tongue press against his length. It only took a few more moments before you felt his hand tighten in your hair. A shudder ran through his whole body, followed by a deep moan, the only warnings you got before he came in your mouth. Which was probably the best, especially since he was still wearing his costume. 

You swallowed slowly and, as his hand relaxed again, moved back while using one of your hands to wipe your mouth. Lin had settled somewhat on the couch, still breathing hard. It took him another minute to speak.  
“Wow… I wasn’t expecting that!”  
You grinned, taking a seat next to him. He turned his head to you, a smile on his lips.  
“You didn’t have to do that, you know that, right?”  
“I thought I’d try something new with you. I appear to have been successful,” you commented and you both laughed.

Lin was still catching his breath, “It really was. I don’t know what to say. That was… amazing. And hot. And sexy.”  
You felt your face grow hot as he pulled you down to him, kissing you passionately, apparently not minding that you had just gone down on him.  
“Don’t be embarrassed. I obviously enjoyed it,” he then clarified.  
A crackly voice came over the speaker, “Everyone, get ready. The show will continue in 5 minutes!”

Lin hastily got up and made sure that his costume looked the way it did before. It was amusing to watch him try and get back to his collected self, especially when you knew that he would have to be on stage in a couple of minutes. He caught you smiling and smoothed down his hair.  
“If they knew what kind of break I just had they would give me an additional ten minutes,” Lin mused and you raised an eyebrow.

“Are you complaining?”  
“No,” he said, grabbing his coat and walking towards you. You could see that he was still a bit wobbly on his legs, which made you smile. Lin leaned down to you and gave you another quick kiss, followed by a low murmur, “I’ll repay that favor soon.”  
With that he left the dressing room, leaving you on the couch with probably too much time to think about what he had just said.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo.. Thanksgiving is just around the corner in our little story and with that comes a lot of drama. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter after the steamier one last week. I'll keep some steamy stuff in every other chapter or so I guess, but for now, let's continue the main story!
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me, as always! x

Once Lin was gone, you settled back on the couch. You had to take a few breaths, what had just happened had also been exciting for you. Seeing Lin so helpless (pun intended) had been a first but something you were open to bring about again. After a few minutes had passed, you were able to hear the music returning, especially Daveed as Jefferson. You suddenly remembered that you hadn't really heard from him, especially since he had presented your cake during his brunch that day.

You pulled your phone from your bag, checking the messages. No one had texted you, apart from Lin who had asked you if you would make it in time for the break. Well, you had definitely made it. The only price you ultimately had to pay was that you were extremely tired, even after oversleeping after work you still felt shattered. Being back on your regular schedule after having a concussion had been a lot more strenuous than anticipated.

After trying to check your phone again you realized that your battery was dying quickly, so you turned it off, no one would have to reach you before tomorrow anyways, so you should be safe. Since the show would definitely take some more time, you stretched and made yourself comfortable on the couch. The couch on which you had just gone down on Lin. Who had still been in his costume. 

Which in retrospect was a bit weird. Did you have some sort of weird kink for his look? You definitely liked the hair, that was obvious. Oh god… did you have a thing for Alexander Hamilton (or at least the way Lin looked in the costume)? You chuckled to yourself and closed your eyes. Maybe you did, but hey, it didn’t hurt anyone, right? With that thought on your mind, you slipped into another, well-deserved in your opinion, nap.

“(Y/N), wake up,” someone whispered near your ear and you reluctantly opened your eyes. Lin was looking at you, his face almost uncomfortably close to yours, which made you groan.  
“Do I have to get up?”  
“I believe it’s time. I let you sleep until I was almost ready to go,” he pointed out and you sat up, rubbing your eyes. He was right. Lin was already back in his everyday clothes, hair gathered into a bun and looking at you with a crooked smile.

“Oh, I slept through you getting dressed?” You asked and he nodded.  
“I know, it’s a pity but you can look at me naked some other time. I just wanted to wake you up, I’ll handle the stage door now and after that we can grab something to eat?”  
He was looking at you, waiting for an answer, for which your sleepy brain had to work a little harder than usual.  
“Uh, yeah. Do you want me to come with you to the stage door?”  
“No worries, wake up and follow me afterward,” Lin mumbled and leaned down to give you a kiss.

“If I don’t fall asleep again,” you laughed and he smirked.  
“After the kind of break you gave me today I might even carry you out this theater. I did manage the piggyback once and I can do it again.”  
“You’re sure you’d be able to carry me? I remember us lying on the floor.”  
Lin raised an eyebrow and walked up to you again. Too late, you realized what he was about to do. Before you could say anything against it, he scooped you up in his arms and with a high shriek, you clung to his neck. It felt a bit unsafe and you could see that he was struggling to keep a straight face.

“Did I hear a scream?”, Lin turned around, almost letting go of you and you barely kept your balance in his arms. Daveed had popped his head into the dressing room, looking at you.  
“Oh, hey, fancy meeting you here!” You said in his direction, not able to address him properly since Lin was still holding you and hadn’t fully turned around. You could hear that your friend walked into the room and Lin finally let you stand on your own again. You smiled at him, adjusting your top.

“Are you trying to recreate the pictures we took?” Daveed grinned and gave you a hug. Lin chuckled and looked at his watch.  
“Oh, I’ll get going now. Just follow me after 30 minutes I guess, (Y/N)? Daveed, will you accompany me?”  
Daveed looked from you to Lin, “Give me a second. I have to talk to (Y/N) about something real quick.”  
Lin nodded and grabbed his bag, “I’ll see you in a bit then,” he said and vanished.

You looked at Daveed, curious as to why he wanted to talk to you. He waited until you weren’t able to hear Lin’s footsteps anymore.  
“How was the cake-“ you began but he stopped you with a wave of his hand. Surprised, you stared at him, not knowing why he was acting so weird.  
“We are friends, right?” 

“Yes. Of course. Why are you asking me?”  
“And you’ll tell me the truth?”  
You were getting nervous, what was going on? Had he changed something? No, he looked the same. He was even looking serious.  
“I will. What’s going on? I am beginning to get nervous.”  
Daveed took a deep breath and gave you a stern look.

“Do you know if Lin is taking something?”  
You had to stop yourself from laughing, Daveed seemed to be deadly serious.  
“Wait, what? Why would you even ask that?! Of course not,” you blurted out, not able to stop a small laugh from slipping out.  
“I am simply asking because he was really tired during the first act and when he returned fo the second one, he was suddenly extremely relaxed and even smiling at people. He never changes that quickly.”

You could feel your ears grow hot, something Daveed noticed too.  
“Why are you blushing. You know something!”  
He was almost stabbing his finger at your chest and you took a step back. Suddenly you were wishing that you could tell him about some super relaxing drug. Well, here goes nothing, you thought and cleared your throat.  
“Uhm… you really want to know?” 

“Of course!” Daveed said and you sighed. He would have to live with that piece of information.  
“I kind of… (how to phrase this?) helped him relax before the second act.”  
“With what? Pot brownies? Is that your new business?”  
“Daveed,” you laughed again and continued, “I’ll make it as simple as possible for you, alright? One word. Blowjob.”

You were pretty much able to pinpoint the exact moment in which Daveed realized what you had said. He had already opened his mouth but stopped, looking like a fish on land. You smirked, it was actually quite funny.  
“What? Oh no. Oh please God. The pictures in my head,” he whined and you laughed out loud. Daveed looked like you had pushed him into a deep crisis.

“Don’t picture it, it’s as simple as that.”  
“Oh, really? Do you want to know stuff about my sex life?!”  
“Please no,” you got out, between fits of laughter and after scowling at you for a few seconds, Daveed joined in.  
“I guess I’m glad that you have not started your own pot brownie business, but (Y/N), maybe deliver news like that differently next time. For my sake.”  
“I’ll try to remember it. You were kinda asking for it though,” you were still chuckling and he shook his head.

“I can’t believe it. How did you pull that off. Our break isn’t that long.”  
So he was curious.  
“Well, it’s all about efficiency,” you thought about it a few moments before continuing, “Also, Lin doesn’t really need to change his whole look during the break so that’s a plus.”  
Daveed nodded, thoughtfully, then shook his head, “In retrospect, I don’t want to know anything about that business. I don’t want to picture it, I don’t want to hear about it. I might tell that story during my best man speech at your wedding though.”

There he was again, back to his old antics.  
“Yeah sure. If there ever is a wedding and if you’ll be best man.”  
“Actually, shouldn’t I be the maid of honor? Man of honor? Whatever. And there will be a wedding. If you keep racing through relationship milestones, you’ll be married by next summer.”  
You took a breath, not knowing how to answer him. What were you supposed to say?

“Uh… yeah. I’ll keep you posted.”  
“And a child by Christmas,” Daveed continued. You didn’t answer and simply took your coat, not wanting to further discuss the topic.  
“We should get going, my friend. Before you start planning my divorce and stuff like that.”  
Daveed turned to you.

“Divorce? Come on, you are the endgame. You are what I see when I think about true love!”  
He made you smile with his statement, but you were also beginning to feel a bit uneasy. All that talk about marriage, children, and love was not something you had planned to do that day, or any other day for that matter.  
“Yeah yeah, true love,” was all that you responded, trying to finally leave the dressing room, but Daveed stopped you. You raised an eyebrow at him.

“What?” He asked.  
“What are you doing? We should go, there are people that want to see you,” you said and tried to sneak past him. It didn’t work.  
“Not until you tell me why you’re acting so funny.”  
He now leaned in the doorway, you would never be able to get past him. 

“Listen, I feel uneasy talking about love and all that. We have only been dating for a week. That’s ridiculous.”  
“I know people that fell in love the second they met their special person. So don’t give me that crap. Do you like Lin? (You nodded) Can you imagine a future with him? (Once again, nodding) And… do you think you could be seriously head over heels for him?”

You gulped, considering what you were feeling. You had immediately liked Lin, that was for sure. He was funny, thoughtful, kind, talented, and so many other things. You had also grown extremely close during your charade and now you were getting jealous over the teeniest things. Oh oh… you might be in trouble.

Daveed watched your facial expressions, a smile on his lips. Of course, he knew you better than you knew yourself sometimes.  
“I see. Think about that. I don’t want to pressure you into marriage, but I am totally HERE for it!”  
He winked at you, you knew he was joking but you couldn’t help but feel nervous all of a sudden. Did Lin feel the same? Probably? Who knew. He definitely liked you. Hopefully a lot.

Daveed finally left the doorframe and you followed him to the stage door, still thinking about your talk. Mixed with your overall exhaustion and the beginning nervousness regarding Thanksgiving, you just shoved it to the back of your head, trying to forget about it. You should probably try to enjoy the rest of the night, right?

When you stepped out into the cold November air, you were greeted by loud voices and some screams (obviously from people who were excited to see Daveed). He gave you another smile, took out a pen and began distributing autographs and smiling for pictures. You spotted Lin in one corner and Pippa in another. Renée was also busy talking to people, so you leaned against one of the walls, pulling out your beanie and putting it on.

Some fans noticed you and you smiled at them, realizing that the red beanie and Lin’s frequent tweets about you were beginning to leave an impression with people. Hopefully a good one. The door next to you opened again and another person almost bumped into you.

“Oh gosh, I am so sorry,” the woman muttered and when she looked at you, you realized that you had just collided with Helen. She was wearing a black hat, so you hadn’t spotted her signature red hair.  
“It’s ok, normally no one is hanging around here I guess,” you responded, trying to be nice. She smiled at you and looked around. Her eyes lingered a second too long on Lin, but you decided to not comment on it.

“Well... I’ll see you around I guess,” she said and you nodded.  
“Yeah. Have a good night,” you really tried. Lin would be proud of you. He had also spotted you, waving at you and you and Helen waved back. With his hands, he signaled that it would probably take him another ten minutes or so, the crowd had died down already. Helen mingled around for a minute, but after that she finally left. Daveed gave you a questioning look and you nodded slowly, hoping to signal that it was all good.

It worked, so the next 15 minutes were spent waiting for Lin, who tried to make every person that came to the stage door happy. He succeeded and after saying goodbye to the last person that wanted something from him, he walked up to you and pulled you into a tight embrace.  
“Thanks for waiting,” he whispered close to your ear. You heard someone (who sounded suspiciously like Daveed) say “awww” behind your back.  
“I literally had no choice. I want food. And I get to take you home,” you grinned, feeling comfortable in his arms.  
“True,” Lin stated and both of you smiled.

“So, where do you want to stop for food?” You asked after saying your goodbyes to the rest of the cast members. Lin had buried his hands in his coat and shrugged.  
“I don’t really care. I’m not that hungry, maybe we can grab a sandwich somewhere?”  
“Sounds good. There’s actually a good sandwich place a few streets down from my apartment, if you want to check that out?”  
Lin agreed and you walked to the nearest subway station, time to get your tired asses home.

As promised, the sandwich place wasn’t that far away from your home, so you got off the subway a stop before your usual one, to squeeze in a food break. It was a smaller store, usually open around the clock (thanks to the club just around the corner) and the sandwiches were amazing. Lin and you ordered and within a few minutes someone handed you a bag with your food.

“Do you want to eat at home?” You asked and after a nod from Lin you walked back to your apartment. On your way, he told you about a man he had spotted during the second part of the show, who apparently was an enthusiastic gum chewer, to the point that even Leslie was distracted. You laughed about his impression of the guy and Lin flashed you one of his signature grins, watching you doubling over.

“You should really start a tweet series about people you spot in the crowd. With the seat number, so they know that you’re talking about them. Only nice things of course,” you hurried to say and Lin thought about it.  
“I might start that, You know what, let me do that right now!”  
You had reached your apartment door and while you unlocked the door, Lin had already pulled out his phone and began typing.

“You still know the seat number?”  
“Sure, I know that theater inside out. Gimme a second,” he followed you inside and while he continued typing furiously, you dipped into the bedroom to connect your phone to a charger. It lit up briefly, signaling that it had begun its charging and you left it alone for now. When you returned to the living room Lin had put his phone away.  
“Sent the tweet, let’s see how it is perceived. I was also tagged in A LOT of stuff, but I decided to check those things later so that we can have our very romantic dinner.”

You laughed and pulled two plates from one of your cabinets, putting the sandwiches on them.  
“Oh yes, so romantic. Should I put on some Italian music or something like that?”  
“I can sing you some Spanish songs if you want?” Lin was wiggling his eyebrows at you and you smiled. You actually really liked to listen to him speak Spanish. When you didn’t answer him, and instead unwrapped your sandwich, Lin shot you an inquiring look.

“Don’t you want to listen to me sing?”  
“Uh, I never said that. I was just thinking about Spanish, I love listening to you speaking it. I wish I could properly speak another language. I did have Spanish in school… didn’t really stick,” you said and took a bite. Lin leaned back in his chair.  
“I can teach you. You will have to learn some sentences, some of my relatives tend to lapse into Spanish from time to time.”  
“How many relatives will I meet?” You asked and he laughed.

“Oh, I think all of them at some point. We have to go to Puerto Rico in the future! I can show you a few of my favorite places!”  
You thought back to your conversation with Daveed, things really were getting serious quite fast all of a sudden. But you weren’t afraid of how fast you were going, it felt comfortable with Lin beside you.  
“I’d love that!” You responded and Lin hummed happily while chewing a big bite of his sandwich.

You ate in silence for a few minutes, which actually gave you the chance to finish your sandwich. After putting away your plates Lin stretched, suppressing a yawn.  
“Do you still want to catch a shower now?” You asked and he rubbed his eyes.  
“I don’t know. Am I allowed in your bed if I shower tomorrow?”  
“As long as you comb out some of that grease I’ll allow it,” you said, graciously, and he nodded.

You both went to the bathroom to brush your teeth and while Lin began combing his hair, you took off the last remnants of your make up off. He watched you curiously and after putting on your moisturizer you gave him and exasperated look.  
“What?” You asked and he put the brush away. His hair looked a little less shiny and he put it into another of his signature low buns.

“I am always impressed by how much time most women put into their skincare. I wash my face with the shampoo that runs over my face,” he admitted and you snorted.  
“You can have some of my moisturizer if you want to?” You then suggested and he gave you an incredulous look. Without waiting for another word from him, you dabbed some of the cream onto his skin and Lin backed off.

“Hey!”  
“Take it grandpa!”  
“Did you just… call me grandpa?!” Lin was shocked and you laughed.  
“You are older than me. But it will keep you from looking old, so rub it in!”  
“You’re currently rubbing it in. Metaphorically,” he mumbled and began distributing the moisturizer on his face. You could hear him grumble throughout the procedure, while you had wandered into the bedroom to put on a loose shirt for sleeping.

When Lin emerged from the bathroom, he found you sitting on the bed, applying hand cream and you looked at him.  
“So.. how does it feel?”  
“Nice,” he responded and pulled his shirt over his head. This time you watched him change, like some creepy stalker. He noticed and gave you a smile.

“Told you so,” you finally got out and he wandered over to you, now wearing only his boxers and a shirt. Why were you still so flustered when he was around, especially when you were only half-dressed (just like him)? He pulled you from the bed and into a warm embrace. Awkwardly, you put your arms around him and returned it. You could hear him huff into your hair.

“What’s wrong?” You asked and he let go of you.  
“Remember me talking about sexy shower times? Well, didn’t work out today,” he said and you smiled. He really knew how to bring up certain topics.  
“Your day was quite successful in that department I think. It’s ok,” you said and he nodded thoughtfully.  
“You are right,” Lin leaned down again and pressed a soft kiss to your lips. It wasn’t heated or demanding at all. It was actually quite sweet and you also really liked this side of him.

“Let’s sleep, alright? I don’t have to get up early tomorrow, so we can sleep in,” you said after he let go of you, leaning your forehead against his. Lin nodded, you knew this side of him. He was already too tired to properly respond to you. You pushed him to his side of the bed and he let himself fall onto it with a content sigh. After tucking him in, like a good mother, you walked around the bed and lay down as well.

“Sweet dreams,” you whispered after turning off the lights. He cooked closer to you in the dark and pulled you close to him, so that your head was lying on his chest. You liked being so close to him and interlaced your fingers with his.  
“Good night,” he breathed into your hair and in a matter of seconds you noticed his changed breathing pattern. He really fell asleep fast. Which was ok, having someone so calm, at least during those hours, next to you made you feel completely safe and relaxed. That’s why it was no surprise that you soon followed his example.

Since you had to regularly get up early and were already adapting after two days back at work, you woke up around seven and entangled yourself from Lin’s embrace. He almost woke up but you managed to avoid this, by quickly and silently sneaking into the bathroom. Taking a shower was something you usually also did in the mornings, so you enjoyed following your usual routine a lot.

After showering and putting on some comfortable clothes, you didn’t need to get ready until two to pick up the cake at three, you thought about the rest of the day. The wedding reception was at half past four, a weird time in your opinion, but it would give you enough time to arrange everything. After that, you were free to leave again, which was great since you still had to pack your things for your trip to Stephan and Diane.

When you walked back into your bedroom, Lin was still fast asleep. You smiled at him and were interrupted in your content feeling by your phone. Was it flashing? No, it apparently wanted you to notice a few notifications. You had a lot more of those since being with Lin, so you were used to it. You gingerly sat down on the bed again and picked up the mobile device, opening it. You had two new texts from Daveed, and a call, and one text from Renée. Weird. What was even weirder was that you apparently had about 300 Twitter notifications. You opened the app and realized that most of them were mentions. You had also gotten some messages, so you opened them first.

‘So that’s why you went after Lin huh?’ Was the first one and you looked at it, confused about its content. The others more or less followed the same wording. The mentions also agreed, you were called a fame whore, people were accusing you of only using Lin as a means of progress for your own career on Broadway. You paused, what was going on?

Another user told you to stay away from the theater, while someone else was openly threatening you. What was happening?  
“What the fuck…” you said, apparently a bit too loud since Lin woke up.  
“What’s going on?” He asked and you turned around to him.  
“I don’t know, people are being really mean to me on Twitter, saying I don’t deserve to be with you, look at this?”

He immediately sprung into action, which was impressive, and took your phone from you. The light from it illuminated his face and you could see him raise his eyebrows.  
“Why are they accusing you of using me? And what’s that about you being a fame… well, I won’t say that word.”  
“I don’t know!”  
“Let me check my phone, by the way, you should turn off your notifications they keep on coming in. And close your Twitter inbox. Until we have found out what’s going on,”

He handed your phone back to you and while you were fiddling with your settings, Lin checked his own Twitter.  
“First of all, Daveed tried calling me?” He said and you shrugged, not being able to concentrate right now. This was stressing you out.

“I also see a lot of the tweets, they tagged me too. I’ll find out what’s going on. Are you listening to me?” Lin put his phone away and reached for your hand. You looked at him and felt your heart racing in your chest. This time it wasn’t from his sweet gesture, it stemmed from genuine fear. Suddenly the thing that had scared you from the beginning had happened. But what had changed?


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I am SO sorry for keeping you waiting. Work has been crazy the past two weeks and I am ashamed to tell you that this is more of a, you might have guessed it, filler chapter. I don't know when I'll be able to upload again, I hope next week but we shall see. After next week work should be a bit easier again, so bear with me.
> 
> But I love reading all your comments, so thank you for that! :)

It took you a solid half an hour before you were able to properly answer him. Lin spend the minutes brewing coffee and presenting you with a mug after you migrated to your kitchen isle. You were still shocked, especially since you didn’t know what was going on. While you sipped on your coffee, Lin was going deep into the Twitterverse, tapping his way through responses and trying to find out what happened.

He finally turned to you with a sigh.  
“I think I know what happened. Remember that TV interview we did? They seem to have cut it in a slightly weird way which actually wouldn’t be that bad if there hadn’t been someone on Twitter who used a clip to make you look extremely bad.”  
You put the mug down, “Show me.”  
“Really?” Lin asked and you nodded. He handed you his phone and walked around you, putting his hands on your shoulders.

You quickly read the caption that went along with the clip, posted by an account that you had never heard about, something normal for Twitter. It read ‘Now we know why #redbeaniegirl wanted to date Lin. Let’s hope he sees her true intentions”. You raised an eyebrow at the post and pressed play. The clip was obviously taken from the segment you had filmed, beginning with a voice-over telling the audience that, "Miranda and the young (you snorted) baker began dating earlier this year."

It transitioned to a clip of you laughing at something Lin said and you cringed, seeing you on film was always weird. Something you were happy about was that they went with “dating since earlier that year”, it wouldn’t blow the cover you had established for your family. In the clip, Karen was back to the Tony Talk, “Even though we don’t really know how many nominations Hamilton will get next year, we might already know who will accompany you to the awards, right?”

It unfolded as you remembered the scene, Lin turning to you and smiling, “Yes… I don't know if you follow me on Twitter, but everyone on there must have already realized that I am not planning on visiting future events without a plus one.”  
After his answer, they showed you walking up to him and the voice-over was back to telling the audience that you worked as a baker, as mentioned before, and that you and Lin had met through Daveed.

When the clip went back to the interview, it showed you telling Lin that he was lucky to have you and he gave you a playful shove. Then the camera was back on Karen.  
“Are you in the musical theater business, too?”  
You saw yourself shaking your head, “No, I am working as a baker, so no singing for me for a living.” You remembered saying that, but when it cut back to the voice-over, you realized why people were being mean. The voice told people that you and Daveed had met through musical theater workshops (how did they know that?) and that you had put your dreams aside and chosen a new career path.

After this, the clip ended and you gulped. That really looked bad. Lin took his phone from you and looked for the original segment. When he found it, he scrolled to the part with you in it and you could hear yourself talking about how hard it was to see each other with your different work schedules, but that you were ultimately really satisfied with how things were working out. This had been cut from the clip on Twitter. 

“Ok… well… that wasn’t how I wanted it to go,” Lin mumbled and you sighed. What were you supposed to do? He eventually took a seat next to you and reached for your hand, letting his thumb rub soothing circles on the back of your hand. You turned to him, feeling slightly embarrassed but you could feel tears stinging in your eyes.

“Lin… do I say something in return? What am I supposed to do? I am not prepared for something like this!”  
Your voice faltered and you could feel him squeeze your hand in return. It took a minute until Lin cleared his throat and began speaking.  
“I don’t know what to say. Had I known that something like this would happen… Well, then I would not have forced you to take part in it. I am new to this whole thing too, to be honest, I always felt like it is a different kind of being famous with me. But since Hamilton took off like crazy and suddenly working on something for Disney, things might change. This is my fault and I will make it right, ok?”

You could hear the concern in his voice and tried to compose yourself.  
“So… I shouldn’t say anything?”  
“Nothing might be wrong too, what about saying that you will take some time off social media, to spend Thanksgiving with your family? And I will come up with something on my account, fans will expect me to react.”  
Lin sighed and rubbed his face, suddenly looking extremely tired.

Your phone rang again, Daveed’s face plastered over your screen.  
“You should probably take that, I’ll… take a shower. I’ll be quick,” Lin said and after squeezing your hand again, he slid off the chair.  
You watched him vanish into the bathroom and picked up your phone. Time to talk to your friend.

“Hey Daveed,” you said and he immediately began talking.  
“Oh my god, (Y/N), I don’t know how they found that information, they never asked me, I just wanted to make that clear. Also, I will find whoever is behind that Twitter Account and end them. How dare they?! Ok, how are you?”  
You couldn’t help yourself, you had to laugh at his outburst and could hear him join your laughter lightly.  
“I am… alright, I would say. It really shocked me. And I think Lin feels responsible,” you admitted.  
“But he isn’t, did you tell him that?”

“Not yet,” you answered and continued, “But I will. I will definitely have a little break from Twitter but he has to properly react to the whole thing. Let’s hope it blows over quickly. His fans have been supportive so far but there are always bad ones I guess.”  
You were surprised how calm you were sounding and Daveed noticed.  
“You’re still in shock, right?”  
“Yeah,” you slowly said and stretched, not knowing what to do.  
“Listen, get your job done today and tomorrow you’ll be away from New York and this stress. I know that family can be stressful too but it’s a different kind, right?”

“Let’s hope so! I am looking forward to that escape, not what I would picture as a perfect escape from this sudden nightmare but it’s ok.”  
Daveed agreed with you and after saying nothing for a few seconds you decided to end the call, you really didn’t want to talk that much about it anymore. He made you promise to text him if anything bothered you and you were thankful for that. You just really needed some time to think.

Lin returned, his hair still dripping, a determined look on his face.  
“What did Daveed say?” He asked, wrapping an arm around you.  
“That I should try and concentrate on Thanksgiving. He’s right. I just feel weird. Like I cannot really comprehend what happened. I still have to write that Tweet, saying that I’ll be off for a while.”  
Lin pressed a kiss to your neck, “I will write something too. After that, I’ll put away my phone. When do you have to be at the wedding?”

Right, you had forgotten about that. You checked the time. You still had some time but should probably get going in the next two hours.   
“I don’t have to go right now, but I should probably write that Tweet. Give me a second.”  
You reached for your phone again, thinking about what to type. Lin was still holding you, resting his head on your shoulder, watching what you were doing.

It wasn’t easy to ignore the incoming notifications, so you finally turned them off. One thing you still wanted to do was check out the Twitter account that started the whole thing. Lin grumbled next to you, obviously not amused with how you were dealing with this but he let you proceed. You tapped on the original post, looking at the username and picture. It showed a ballerina and looked like a stock photo, not depicting the actual person behind the account. The account itself was named ‘Dreamy Dancer’, so you couldn’t really get something from that.

After scrolling through the 21 tweets the account had posted so far, you realized that it had been created the day before.  
“Seems like someone really wants to mess with me,” you mumbled and felt Lin nod against your shoulder.  
“People are dumb,” was his very eloquent answer to it. You chuckled, he actually managed to make you smile. His arm tightened around your middle.

“Ok, I won’t rack my brain over this, or at least I’ll try not to. Let’s tweet something. Afterwards I’ll mute the whole app.”  
You pulled up your profile and tapped on the writing tool in the app. It opened and you took a deep breath before typing.  
“What are you writing?” Lin asked and you looked to your right, almost colliding with his nose.

“Can’t you read?”  
“That’s mean,” he whispered but you could see him smile.  
“I wrote ‘Hey guys, I’ll hope you understand that I will take some time off of Twitter. For now, I want to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family, wishing you all the best!’”  
“Sounds about right,” Lin let go of you and walked around the kitchen isle, leaning on his elbows to look at you.

You hit send and closed the app. Maybe you should delete the app? You decided against it and simply put your phone down. Maybe taking a few deep breaths would help — yep, definitely. Lin was still looking at you, which began to annoy you.  
“What?” You asked and he pushed himself off the isle.  
“Just making sure that you’re ok. Do you want to read what I posted?”  
“You haven’t posted anything yet,” you responded and he shrugged.

“But I will, wait a second,” Lin pulled his phone from his jeans and began typing. After a minute he stopped and you observed him reading over the text a few times. He then handed the phone to you.  
“Send it if you thinks it’s alright,” he said and turned around to apparently get two bowls from your cupboard. Right, you didn’t even have breakfast yet.

You looked at the phone in your hand and the draft he had come up with.  
‘Today will be my last show before Thanksgiving. I won’t be posting as usual during that time since I will spend it with my girlfriend. One of the kindest humans I have ever met and I would appreciate if you would treat her kindly too.’  
To be honest, you had expected something a little more drastic but this was probably the best way to do this. You handed the phone back, not before tapping on send, and Lin rewarded you with a bowl of cereal and a spoon.

“I’ll just put this away,” Lin said and walked to the bedroom. He didn’t return for a few seconds and when he did, you already finished half of your bowl.  
“Did something stop you from coming back?”   
Lin smiled at you and you returned it. The day had definitely started badly but maybe you should try and make it better from now on.  
“I just looked for my shirt,” Lin mentioned and showed off the Hamilton shirt he was wearing.

“You do realize that that’s the one you gave to me, right?”  
“What?!”  
You snorted into your milk at his shocked expression, especially when he began to shovel the cornflakes into his mouth.  
“Don’t you dare mention this to anyone!”  
You threw up your hands in defense, “I would never. And I’m not using Twitter right now, so no chance.”

 

Lin still gave you a stern look but continued eating his cereal.  
“Let’s hope that Twitter will calm down. By the way, since we were both tweeting about Thanksgiving, our flight will be very early tomorrow, so I wouldn’t mind if you went to bed without me!”  
“I’ll just wait and see how tired I’ll be. I also still have to pack, you should give me some space in that suitcase of yours!”  
Lin grinned and you returned the smile, finally, something relaxed within you. Sure, you still weren’t happy with what had happened but maybe you could learn to live with it?

After having a second bowl of cereal, you took your fancier uniform from the dresser. It came in a pale pink, a color Cat loved but that didn’t necessarily suit anyone else than her. Still, she loved seeing you in it, so you humored her on the regular even though it made you look like a beige blob. Lin told you as much when you returned to the living room.

“No offense, but… the green dress suits you a lot better than that color!”  
You threw one of the socks you were carrying at him and he ducked.  
“Watch your tongue! I didn’t choose the pastel pink life, Cat chose it for me!”  
You could see that he was still laughing, so you grumbled another, “Don’t laugh!”, and collected your sock from the ground.

“I think I’ll get going now, still have to collect the cake. I won’t be at the wedding the whole time so… feel free to text me in the break. I can actually respond!”  
“Sounds great. But, please don’t check Twitter. I will delete that app from your phone if I see you scrolling through the feed!” Lin tried to look extremely serious, which didn’t really work, but you nodded nevertheless.

“Ok, ok,” you said, shouldering your bag. You would take the subway to the bakery but to transport the cake, the bridal couple had arranged for you to be picked up. Lin got up when he watched you put on your shoes.  
"I'll be quick after the show,” he said when you grabbed your keys.  
“You don’t have to rush,” you answered, checking your hair in the mirror once more.  
“But I want to see you,” Lin said and pulled you into an embrace.

You smiled against his shoulder and pressed a kiss against his lips.  
“That’s sweet, but don’t neglect your fans,” you whispered and he shrugged.  
“Ok, I’ll be nice. Text me when you’re bored.”  
You chuckled, you most likely wouldn’t be bored, wedding always came with a considerable amount of nervous energy and, to be honest, you’d rather stay in the kitchen. 

“I’ll see you later,” you then said and Lin nodded.  
“I’ll see you. Go and deliver that cake! And I know that this morning has been somewhat bad but remember that only my opinion matters in regards to our relationship,” Lin began and you regarded him with a stern look, “Uh, I mean our opinions. But in my opinion, you’re really cool.”  
You laughed and stepped into the stairwell.  
“Good to know,” were your last words and after Lin closed the door to your apartment, you hit the road.

 

Getting the cake to the venue wasn’t a problem and you were left to work in peace while the couple was still getting married. The cake had to be positioned on a special plate and after fearing to drop it a couple of times, you finally got it right. The slightly dimmed light of the venue made the sugar flowers look even better and you added a bit of edible glitter to the center of them. To be honest, you were extremely proud of your work. While you were still looking at the cake, a young woman approached you.

“Sorry, are you the cake lady?”  
You suppressed a sigh and turned around.  
“Sure, I am the cake lady. And you are?”  
“The wedding planner’s assistant. I was asked to show you where you can stay before the couple cuts the cake. After that, you’re free to go. We made sure to provide you with a meal, so please follow me.”

You were surprised to be ambushed so suddenly, but it wasn’t unpleasant, even though she addressed you as the cake lady. She led you to a nearby room that seemed to be situated near the kitchen, packed with a small table, a few chairs and a couch.  
“So, the couple will arrive in 15 minutes. After that, they will eat with their guests and after that, the cake will be cut. We’d just like to keep you around in case anything happens to the cake,” the woman explained, checking the information on her phone.  
“I understand,” you answered and took a seat on one of the chairs.

“Food will be served soon and as I said, I made sure that you get some too. I’ll come back once the cake thing was successful, ok?”  
You nodded and the women left again. Chuckling, you pulled out your phone, noticing that Lin had already sent you a text.  
‘Everything alright?’  
You typed back, ‘Better than good. I am seemingly supposed to do no work here. Usually, I have to guard the cake. They put me in a room, I’ll get some food and if nothing happens to the cake I’ll be out of here in a jiffy.’

It didn’t take him long to answer, ‘Sounds great. But we’ll still miss each other, right? You won’t be here before I leave for the theater?’  
You checked the time, sadly, he was right.  
‘It seems so,’ you typed back and he sent a photo of himself, looking sad.  
You shook your head at his behavior, but to be honest, you liked it. After sending him a sad emoji he didn’t get back to you, probably working on the Disney project.

Without thinking about it, you tapped on the Twitter app, realizing that you did not want to read any more hurtful comments. The thing was that you were also curious, so you told yourself to only spend five minutes on the app. Apparently, most people had reacted positively to your tweet, many told you to take some time and enjoy the holidays, while some apologized for the unnecessary cruel tweets you had gotten from others. It warmed your heart and after taking a deep breath you scrolled through the Tweets of people you followed, there was no harm in doing that.

You quickly found Lin’s tweet from this morning, checking the answers, and most were as positive as the ones you had received. You then clicked on Lin’s profile, checking if he had posted anything else. You knew him well enough by now, he couldn’t stay away from Twitter for too long. There was only one new Tweet after the one from this morning and you quickly scanned it.  
‘Just a quick follow up if I find the person who tweeted that bullshit I’ll make them pay. In a respectful way, but nevertheless. Don’t tempt me.’

You stared at your phone with an open mouth, not realizing that the door opened and someone entered. When you looked up you saw a man carrying a plate.  
“I was told to bring you something to eat,” he said, sounding bored. You motioned for him to put it in front of you and gobbled the food down, thinking about the Tweet. Was it over the top? Lin had really been angry. You decided to not ask him about it right now and tried to focus on the phone and a magazine you had brought with you. Maybe it hadn’t been the most mature thing of him to tweet that. Still, you found yourself smiling over it, if he was willing to do stuff like that, you had probably really found the right guy.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys... I am SO sorry that this took ages. Life is stressful. Work is stressful. Tbh, everything is stressful right now. I will try and get the one after this up more quickly. I am also really sorry that not a lot is happening in this one. Ok, I think I am done apologizing now. Hope you guys still enjoy it!
> 
> Thanks for all the love x

When you got home Lin was already gone. He had left you a note on your kitchen counter, informing you that he had been too lazy to cook and ordered a pizza. Apparently there were three slices left and when you opened the fridge, you spotted them immediately. They would be a good treat after you finished packing, if you didn’t forget about them.

You began by putting on sweatpants and a loose-fitting sweatshirt, fishing your phone out of your bag only to notice that you had three unread messages. The first was from Daveed who asked how you were feeling, to which you got back promptly, telling him that you were hanging in there and thanking him for the support. He had also included greetings from the girls, aka the Schuyler Sisters, and you realized that you really had to catch up with them again soon. It would be great to have all of them in your friend group permanently.

The second message was from Diane, informing you that the guest bedroom was waiting for you and Lin to which you replied with a ‘Can’t wait to see you again’ — you would have never said that a month ago but now you felt genuinely excited to see her again. You were even looking forward to seeing Stephan, which was certainly a development.

Lin had also texted you, simply asking if you had arrived home safely. You sat on the couch, pushing packing to the back of your mind, at least for now. You could still expect an answer from him, he had to be on stage in 30 minutes which gave him plenty of time to be social with you.  
‘Got home, read your note. Might treat myself to some pizza later, thank you!’

As expected, he got back to you in a matter of seconds, ‘I aim to please. Currently trying to wrestle myself into the Hamilton pants, that might be more of a challenge after Thanksgiving.’  
You smiled and waited with a reply, watching the grey bubble spring up at the bottom left corner of your screen.

‘Feeling better about the whole drama?’ Read his follow up text. Maybe you should tell him about the fact that you had seen his tweet.  
‘Don’t be mad,’ you began typing, ‘But I checked your Twitter. Only once. Didn’t really ready any of the hundreds of replies I got, but I appreciated your second tweet. The one you didn’t share with me.’

He was apparently still busy putting on his costume because it took him five minutes to get back to you.  
‘I didn’t want to make you more upset. Or to bring the topic back up. To be honest, I kinda feel responsible for the whole thing. It was my idea to bring you into the interview.’  
You had suspected something like that. Sure, you were still insecure about the whole thing but you didn’t want Lin to feel bad.  
‘Don’t blame yourself, it’s ok. I’m a big girl. And I get to celebrate Thanksgiving with you, so that’s a plus.’

‘Have to go now but you might be on to something. Still, feeling a bit bad about it. I’ll get back to you during the break, or after the show, we’ll see.’  
That sounded surprisingly somber and even though you actually only knew Lin for a few weeks, you knew that he was probably blaming himself. Sure, it had been his idea but you agreed to it. You sighed and put your phone away, no need to worry about it right now, especially since you needed to pack your things.

You took your make up off first, so you were able to already pack your evening routine. Lin had put his suitcase on the bed with another note, telling you that he would squeeze the few things he needed for his (in his own words) ‘beauty routine’ into your wash bag. You already knew that he would use your face cream. After packing the essentials and laying out the skincare you needed for the morning, you looked at your make up products. You knew that you would spend about 6 hours in a plane, which was already a nightmare, so you came to the conclusion to only put on a thick cream in the morning and take care of your appearance once you landed in Seattle.

The fact that your plane would leave at 6am the next morning made you shiver but that way, you would not arrive too late in Seattle, especially with the three hour time difference. Once you landed it would feel like noon in NYC but in Seattle it would only be 9 am. More than enough time to settle in before the evening. You nodded to yourself and put your make up into the wash bag, already feeling accomplished by having handled that relatively small task.

Next on your list was the garment bag, Lin had put his suit on the bed too and you got the bag from underneath your bed, dusting it off. Your dress was still on its hanger and you switched that one for the one that came with the garment bag. Lin’s suit also found its place in the bag and after closing the thing you marveled at the fact that you owned something like it and that it finally came in handy.

Now, all that was left to do was pack your usual things. You choose one of your nicer pajamas, a long flannel shirt, and comfy socks for the night. You also packed a few changes of underwear, you’d definitely needed a shower after the flight and you also didn’t want to wear your comfortable flying panties underneath the new dress. It felt a bit weird to put your underwear into the same suitcase that Lin used, until you realized that he had packed the same things. Well, apart from the bra of course. 

You also packed a comfortable pair of jeans and a knitted sweater, Seattle would surely be as cold as New York and you would spend Friday with Stephan and Diane before flying back in the evening. (Luckily you didn’t have to work that Saturday, Lin, on the other hand, had to handle a two-show day.)

Looking proudly at your work for the day, you suddenly realized that the first act had been finished for quite some time and that Lin was already on stage for the second one. Packing and generally doing organizational things really slowed you down. You checked your phone, he hadn’t texted anything else and you sighed. Hopefully he wasn’t beating himself up over that interview anymore.

Since you had gotten your work done for the day, you put the suitcase on your floor and decided to take a shower, in the morning you would definitely be too lazy and tired. Once you got out of the scalding hot shower, Lin had texted you again.   
‘Finished the show. Will spend a few more minutes than usual with fans but should be at your place in around an hour.’  
You replied with a smiling emoji and toweled yourself dry, slathering yourself with some body lotion you had gotten from the sales table in Sephora at some point in your adult life. After blow-drying your hair and putting on a comfy pair of leggings and a loose shirt you waited for Lin’s return, feeling tiredness creep up your back.

Once he arrived you immediately sensed that he was tired, too. He gave you a slow smile and took off his coat and shoes.  
“Ready to get up in about,” you checked your phone, “3 hours?”  
His chuckle sounded rough and you reached for his hand as he passed you by.  
“Hey, where are you going?”  
“Catching a shower, I’ll be too tired in three hours,” he mumbled and pulled his hand from yours. 

You let him go, watching him disappear in the bathroom. It only took him a few minutes until you could hear the shower running again and you began to wonder why he had been so weird. Maybe he already regretted coming with you tomorrow? You shook your head, maybe he was moody in general right now? You though about what to do and it came to you in an instant. Time to quickly get cooking, Lin’s showers usually didn’t take long.

 

“What is that?” Lin asked and motioned to the steaming cup you were holding as he entered the bedroom. You had barely managed to crawl under the covers, waiting for your boyfriend. Now you were patting the empty space next to you, trying to hide the fact that you had hurried to get there in time.  
“Come here and I’ll show you. Don’t worry about setting an alarm, I already took care of that!”  
Lin complied with your instructions and sat down next to you, his slightly damp hair leaving wet spots on his shirt.

You put the mug into his hands and Lin peered into it, a smile forming on his face.  
“Hot chocolate?”  
“You sounded kind of pissed off and since I didn’t know what was wrong I decided to go with your mum’s tried and tested recipe against everything.”  
Lin took a long sip and you smiled at him, waiting for a response. He handed the mug back to you.  
“You have to help me with that, your day has been way shittier than mine.”

“Then why am I the one thinking about cheering you up?” You asked, quickly followed by, “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind doing this.”  
“I’m just grumpy. I hate getting up early,” Lin mused and you watched him with a raised eyebrow.  
“So you’re regretting agreeing to do Thanksgiving?”

Lin took the mug from you again and placed it on the windowsill above your bed.  
“No, that’s the last thing that’s on my mind,” he took your hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze, “I am still mad about the whole interview thing. I don't want to burden you. I called Karen and asked her about where she got that snippet of you wanting to become an actress and she told me that she got it through googling you (right, probably one of your old Facebook posts, you would have to turn that private too or maybe just delete it). But like I said, I still feel responsible for it.”

You could hear him sigh and now you were the one squeezing his hand.  
“Don't be so hard on yourself. You’re doing the best you can Lin. And I might be unsure about so many things but I am choosing to believe that most people know that I am not using you.”  
He gave you a weak smile, “Not even for my dashing looks which will make you look amazing next to me? Not that you need help in that department.”

You could feel yourself blush and both of you smiled.  
“No, not even for your dashing looks. Let’s just let the topic rest for now, ok? Maybe we'll find out who started it but as long as we know that what we have is real it’s enough, right?”  
Ok, that had gotten deep suddenly and you began to feel uncomfortable, you never really knew how to talk about your feelings.

Lin grinned at you and scooted a big closer, shortening the distance between the two of you. You leaned towards him, meeting his lips in a soft and lingering kiss.  
“Let’s try to sleep for… I guess a little more than two hours by now?”  
Lin’s whispering against your lips made you giggle. You almost sounded hysterical, which was always the case when you realized that you would be sleep-deprived in a couple of hours. 

After turning off the lights, Lin draped an arm over your middle, acting like the big spoon. You could feel his breath on the back of your neck and grabbed his hand, pressing it against your chest.  
“Sleep tight, I… I guess we can also sleep on the plane,” you whispered unsure about why you made that weird pause. Must have been your already tired mind.  
Lin only mumbled a response behind you and with a smile on your face, you fell into a deep sleep, pushing away the thought that your alarm would be waking you in a couple of hours.

 

“I hate mornings,” you mumbled as your alarm roused you from your slumber. Lin groaned next to you, not saying anything. You reached for your phone and turned off the alarm, checking the time. You had both slept through your first alarm but still had plenty of time to get ready, especially since you had agreed to grab something to eat at the airport.

“Lin, we have to get up,” you said, swatting your hand at the pile of blankets that hid your boyfriend. He didn’t answer and you pulled yourself into a sitting position.  
“So I guess I’ll be the adult and get up first, huh?” You asked. You made out a faint nod from the man next to you and swung your legs over the edge of the bed. Usually Lin was up before you, but those rules apparently didn’t apply on early, early mornings.

Thankful for the shower from the night before, you padded into the bathroom and quickly got ready. Washing your face took some courage, your water always needed a few minutes until it got hot but the cold shock was probably better to get going. You looked at your tired face in the mirror while brushing your teeth, deciding to put your hair into a ponytail, everything else would be too complicated at that moment. 

Following your plan from the day before, you slathered your face in a thick cream and while it began to absorb, you slipped into a pair of leggings and a big hoodie. Being comfortable was the most important part of flying, right? The hoodie was more of a dress but you enjoyed it even more that way, it would keep you warm and cozy.

Lin was still asleep when you returned to the bedroom, so you resorted to the last possible action you could take — pulling away his blanket. Without any warning, you grabbed the end of his blanket and yanked on it. Since Lin was still half-asleep, he didn’t react quickly enough. In a few seconds you had freed him of the comfortable warmth and finally got more than a grunt from him.

“You’re a cruel woman.”  
“It speaks!” You commented  
Lin threw you an icy look and rolled out of bed.  
“If you get ready in the next ten minutes I’ll wait for you with coffee?” You offered and he shuffled past you. You were still able to make out a quiet “Deal” so that was something.

Since Lin apparently wanted to keep his promise, it was now your turn to get a move on. The suitcase was already waiting for you in your very tiny hallway, as well as the garment bag. The only thing that was missing was the wash bag but after Lin got ready, you would be able to put it into the suitcase too. 

After checking that you had indeed made sure to get picked up by an Uber in less than thirty minutes, you quickly prepared two cups of coffee. Breakfast at the airport would be enough but leaving the apartment without any caffeine was something that neither Lin nor you would survive. While waiting for the coffee to brew, you looked at yourself in the floor-length mirror in your hallway. The plane outfit was kind of cute, at least as cute as you would get at this time of day.

So far, you also hadn’t thought about the drama on Twitter and while it still stressed you as soon as it crossed your mind, you tried to keep calm and not worry too much about it. You could hear Lin rummaging around your bathroom, so he had to be ready soonish. When you returned to the kitchen, the coffee was ready, so you poured two cups and added milk and sugar according to taste.

“Ok, I am ready,” Lin’s ruff voice pulled you from your own tired thoughts and you heard him vanish in the hallway, probably to put away the last few things.  
“And I got you some coffee,” you said, not too loud since your neighbors would probably not be too thrilled to be woken up at this ungodly hour. What you did not know was that there was also something you were not prepared for that morning. 

When Lin returned from the hallway and joined you in the kitchen you had to muster all of your control to not let go of his coffee cup.  
“Thank you, I might wake up a bit more with that,” Lin commented and you continued looking at him as if he was the Loch Ness Monster. Suddenly your coffee was forgotten and it was probably all thanks to your morning brain.

“Lin… what are you wearing?”  
“Sweats? Just like … you?” Lin asked and you gave him an exasperated look.  
“Really?”  
“Come on, I know you like them. You always make comments about the pants!”  
Lin did a little twirl and you rolled your eyes. Great. First time meeting your parents in a long time and now you were supposed to spend a six-hour flight next to a man dressed in a fairly simple black hoodie but your personal nightmare. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sweatpants.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one isn't as long as some of the ones before but I didn't want to include the beginning of the Thanksgiving festivities in this one, so there you go. Next chapter might take me a little bit longer than a week but it will find its way onto this platform, I promise!
> 
> Thank you all for your wonderful comments and, as always, enjoy :)

The Uber was on time and after putting everything you would bring to Diane and Stephan’s home into the car’s trunk, Lin and you took your seats on the backseat. Lin was still on the topic of his sweatpants.  
“I don’t know why you are so mad about this. We won’t meet your parents until this afternoon, I asked Diane, they won’t see me in these fabulous pants. Their loss, to be honest.”  
You huffed; if only that would have been the problem. Your parents would probably love him anyway, especially since he was so successful.

You sighed and leaned back, it was way too early for an in-depth discussion. Maybe you should just fess up? Honesty and all that, right? The Uber driver didn’t really seem to be interested in anything his guests were up to, so you turned and faced Lin, who was sitting on your right. He was a bit more chipper than before, thanks to your coffee.  
“You want to know why I always comment on the pants?” You asked, almost challenging.  
Lin nodded, he had made himself comfortable. You would spend almost an hour in the car so it was the sensible thing to do. Confessing to your sweatpants trauma might not be.

You thought about it once more but decided to just get it out, he would get to the bottom of it soon enough anyhow.  
“Listen. Those are not sweatpants. They are pajama pants, right?”  
“I guess, technically. But does that matter?”  
You rolled your eyes and Lin smiled, he was obviously enjoying this.  
“Right. They are a lot thinner, it's all about the material. Sweatpants come with a thicker material. Do you remember the time you wore these special pants to a performance?”

“Hamilton?”  
“Don’t be stupid Lin, it’s too early for that,” you sighed and he nodded, trying to, unsuccessfully, make a serious face.  
“I remember the Outkast thing I did with The Skivvies.”  
“That’s what I'm talking about!” You said and Lin laughed quietly.  
“You watched that?”  
“It’s on Youtube.”

“Oh god,” Lin mumbled, burying his head in his hands and you chuckled. Was he embarrassed?  
“Lin, are you alright?” You checked and he peeked at you through his fingers.  
“I might have had a little something to drink before that performance?”  
His voice was muffled by his hands and you laughed, maybe you weren’t the only one that was feeling awkward right now.

“It was a good video and you delivered a stellar performance Lin, it’s ok.”  
“So, what about my pants in that video?” Lin finally managed to look at you again but now you wanted to look away.  
“Uh… well, like I said. The pants are quite thin, you’re doing a lot of… moves in that clip. You also move a lot in general. They are thin. I don’t know how to end this conversation and I wish I would.”

Lin was looking at you, down at his pants, and back at you. Then, finally, something clicked, while your face continued to grow hot.  
“Oh. My. God. Wait. You don’t hate them?”  
“I don’t. They just make me uncomfortable,” you whispered and he grinned.  
“Ohhh… because they give you a good view of what’s inside the pants!”

You were only able to nod, not wanting to say it out loud. Lin was enjoying the whole thing tremendously.  
“I might wear them more often, now that I know about your little problem with them!”  
“Come on!” You threw up your hands and joined him in laughing, although you sounded a bit more nervous.  
“It’s fine, really. Now I have something to use against you. But you already know what’s going on in there,” he was gesturing towards his pants and you felt your face grow hot.

“Lin, be quiet. We are in the back of someone else’s car,” you whispered, loud enough for him to hear while eyeing the driver. He was listening to a podcast, after you had declined any special music wishes. He also seemed to be concentrating on the road, which was great, both for your safety and the talk you were currently having.  
“He isn’t paying attention to us, don’t worry,” Lin seconded your thoughts but you were still a bit nervous.

You suddenly realized that he had scooted over to you, which wasn’t that weird, the car backseat wasn’t that big. Lin leaned into you and you smiled when his breath tickled your ear.  
“You know what I like?” You could feel the shiver that ran down your back and tried to stay still.  
“What?” You asked in return and by the sound of his voice, you knew that Lin was smiling.  
“When you wear my shirts. To be honest, it’s kind of weird that they fit us both so well (you both grinned for a second) but you look amazing in them.”

Before you were able to respond, Lin’s lips found the sensitive spot right behind your ear. He knew how weird you were about your ears and your ponytail gave him easy access to the area. You let him press kisses along your neck while his right hand traveled up your thigh.  
“This outfit isn’t really practical for what I had in mind,” Lin then whispered and you couldn’t help but chuckle. Right, a long hoodie and leggings that went up to your waist weren’t exactly something that came off easily. Thankfully, because you weren’t interested in being discovered by your driver and banned from Uber or something like that.

“You’ll have to undress me later then,” you whispered in response and Lin leaned back, a smile on his face.  
“I’ll hold you to that,” he said, a bit louder than before and you felt your face grow hot. To avoid his smirking, you looked out the window, trying to calm your racing heartbeat. Not a lot had actually happened but at this time in the morning, you were overwhelmed by pretty much everything.

Luckily, your discussion had taken up a good amount of time and after another twenty minutes, you reached the airport. Lin had left you to your thoughts and when you turned around to tell him to get his butt out of the car you noticed that he was sleeping. It didn’t look that comfortable but he was still grumpy when you finally managed to wake him up.

“Lin, we’re at the airport. Come on,” you said and he stretched. The driver had already been paid and after making sure that you had everything, you thanked him and watched as he drove off. Lin was stretching his neck and stifled a yawn. At that moment, his TMNT pants really looked like pajama pants, since he looked like a child that desperately needed a nap. He also behaved like one. 

After getting your boarding passes and making sure that your suitcase and the garment bag met the carry on item regulations, Lin pulled on your sleeve.  
“Yeah?” You asked, looking for a nearby Starbucks. You needed food.  
“I think I forgot a pillow. Can we buy one?”  
“Do you need my permission?” You asked and Lin shrugged. He was miles away from the Lin who had tried to undress you in an Uber, right now the coffee had worn off and you sighed.

“Let’s get some breakfast and after that, we’ll get you one of those neck pillows, alright?”  
He grinned and nodded. Right, coffee and afterwards you would take care of the child that was traveling with you. You luckily only had to follow the scent of freshly brewed coffee and after a short walk, you rounded a corner and found yourself in front of a Starbucks. Lin secured a table while you ordered to coffees and something to eat. They only had sandwiches so you settled on two of those, which you brought to Lin, who was guarding your suitcase and bags.

You weaved through tourists and locals alike, spotting teenagers on their phones and a group of men with bigger cameras. They were obviously waiting for someone famous to arrive. You smiled and set the sandwiches down.  
“I already spotted some paparazzi, do you need to keep an eye on them?”  
“Oh, I think I am barely famous enough for musical theater nerds to recognize me. We should be fine,” Lin mumbled and took one of the sandwiches. 

After collecting the coffees, you also took a seat, looking at what Lin had left for you. Since you had ordered two sandwiches, he divided them and pushed one of the plates into your direction.  
“So… before we board and I fall asleep, is there anything I need to know about your parents?” Lin asked and you took a sip from your coffee. Where to start?

“As I said before, my dad is a lawyer and my mum works as a teacher. They are not that open towards artistic activities but thanks to your background and success, you should be fine. It also helps that Diane loves you, my parents adore her. The only thing they might not like is your hair,” you said and Lin chuckled.  
“Maybe that’s why you like it so much,” he mused and you raised an eyebrow.  
“Why?”  
“Because your parents apparently don’t like long hair on men and you are a little rebel.”

Now you laughed and Lin smiled into his coffee cup.  
“I don’t think that’s the reason. I don’t go out and look for long-haired men,” you said and Lin took hold of your hand on the table.  
“Thank god, I don’t want you to go out and look for any men. You might find someone else!” He almost sounded scandalized and you took a bite from your sandwich.

“You don’t have to be afraid. I have you, that’s enough.”  
“Glad to hear that,” Lin mumbled and you both smiled at each other. To everyone else you must have looked like an annoying couple but you enjoyed it too much to care.  
The rest of your breakfast took place in silence but Lin did not let go of your hand, which strangely made you feel at ease. Right now, nothing could upset you. After finishing your sandwiches and coffees, it was time to get a neck pillow.

“I’ll let you in on a secret. I might have around 20 of these pillows at home,” Lin whispered and you turned around.  
"Wait. Why are we buying one then?”  
“Because I forgot?” He said, trying to look innocent as a young lamb. You snorted and walked over to one of the overpriced airport shops. They carried a lot of different neck pillows and after squeezing a few, you decided on buying two that came in a memory foam-like material. After Lin talked about them, you wanted one too, so you gave in and hopped onto the neck pillow train.

After buying the pillows you were ready to finally board. Lin had offered to buy business class seats but since you did not want to burden his credit card with expanses you didn’t need to make, you had settled on premium economy, which gave you a lot more leg room (which was ridiculous since you were both not that tall). One thing that nevertheless intrigued you was that the extra leg space definitely made you feel more relaxed. Lin had settled quickly in his seat, already looking forward to sleeping through the whole flight.

“How long is the flight?” He checked once again and you turned to your left to look at him. On your right was the window, he had graciously left that seat to you.  
“About 6 hours, so plenty of time for you to sleep and for me to stress,” you tried to sound as if you were joking but you were serious about it. The nervousness had begun to set in and Lin reached for your hand, trying to help you relax.

“No use getting nervous right now. Your parents will love me,” he laughed and you joined in. In your mind, he was right, how could they not love him? After even Stephan had grown to like him.  
“Let’s hope so,” you sighed and leaned back. The flight attendants had already begun with their demonstration and you and Lin tried to pay attention. After this, you made sure to have your seatbelt on, while also checking on Lin who was pretty much ready to sleep.

The plane began to move and you tried to relax. You really weren’t a nervous flyer but the circumstances made it a bit harder than usual, so instead of enjoying the departure, you clutched the armrest and Lin’s hand that was still in yours.  
“I’d like to keep that, thank you very much,” Lin said and plucked your hand from his. Your nails had left indentations on the back of his hand and you shot him an apologetic look.

“It’s ok. Listen, just… I don’t know. Order a glass, or two, of wine and try to sleep. We’ll need it and since I will be sleeping, thanks to the neck pillow you got me, you should try and relax too. In the air, nothing can happen, we have this time for ourselves and no one can annoy us. Isn’t that brilliant?!”  
You smiled at Lin’s enthusiasm and nodded. He was right, maybe you should try and relax. Maybe Thanksgiving would turn out to be a good thing? Who knew?

The flight attendant happily provided you with a glass of red wine, handing it to you over Lin who was already in sleeping mode. He had indeed put the neck pillow to use and had closed his eyes, headphones on his head. You spent a few minutes watching him, occasionally sipping on your wine. Did he have longer eyelashes than you? That was unfair! You snorted into your wine, alright, running on only a few hours of sleep and alcohol didn’t mix well.

After emptying your glass and handing it back to a flight attendant, you tried to relax too. You also realized that you had never really watched Lin sleep. He looked peaceful, as if nothing on this world could stress him, something you rarely witnessed on his face. It made you sleepy watching him and you tried to find a comfortable sleeping position, using earplugs to block out the general airplane noise. Lin was already fast-asleep, his chest moving in a slow and regular pattern. 

Maybe Thanksgiving would be great? Who knew? Diane was certainly looking forward to seeing you and you had received a text message from Stephan before taking off in which he told you to have a safe flight and that he was looking forward to trying to patch up your relationship. The only uncertain thing on the horizon was meeting your parents. Sure, you were nervous about meeting Lin’s parents after this week but you were mostly nervous about emptying your own parents. You knew that they loved you, especially your dad had always had a sweet side when he dialed with you and your ‘antics’. Your mum, on the other hand, was a bit more challenging. But everything should work out. I will work out, why not? With that mantra in your head, you finally managed to fall asleep, too.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The calm before the storm ;)

“Maybe we should have stayed home,” you mused as you arrived in Seattle and were walking towards the area where Diane and Stephan were waiting for you. Your brother had texted you that they would welcome you, especially since you had been traveling for some time by then. Lin was carrying the suitcase, while you tried to make sure that the garment bag stayed where it was supposed to be, on your arm.

“I guess I understand where you’re coming from but we will have a great time. Or at least try to have a good time,” Lin said, craning his neck to find Stephan and Diane. You shook your head, right, maybe you would have a good time. After taking a deep breath, you helped him to look for them. After panicking during the beginning of the flight, you had slept through the majority of it and felt a bit more awake than before. Lin apparently felt the same, judging by the bouncing man next to you.

“(Y/N)! Lin!” Diane’s voice cut through the general airport noise and you immediately found her blonde bob amongst a crowd of other people. Stephan was standing next to her, his hands in his pocket, while his wife welcomed you with a big grin.  
“Hey,” you said in return as you reached them both and without a warning, she suddenly flung her arms around you, capturing you in a tight embrace. You could see Lin and Stephan smile, so you went along with it. Also because she was genuinely nice.

“I am so happy to see you again!”  
“She has been talking about it since you agreed to come,” Stephan added and Diane gave him a playful shove. By now, you were really able to see the love between them. Diane looked good, she wasn’t exactly showing but since you knew that she was pregnant you were definitely able to spot the famous pregnancy glow and the fact that she had gained a bit of weight, which was a good look on her. 

“We couldn’t miss it! Getting to know (Y/N) and your parents Stephan and witnessing the big pregnancy reveal? Of course, we would come,” Lin laughed and Diane nodded eagerly.  
“I cannot wait to tell them. I already told my mum but she has kept it a secret from my dad. I just had to tell her, especially since I got so excited about the whole thing after we returned from New York!”  
You smiled at Diane’s bubbly outburst and Stephan stepped next to you.  
“Do you want me to carry that?” He asked and it took you a second to realize that he was talking about the garment bag.

“Uh, sure. If you don’t mind? I can carry it,” you were still unsure about your relationship but he nudged your hand and took the bag from you. By that time Lin had fully dived into a conversation with Diane, the two of them were walking in front of you and Stephan and you saw your brother examining Lin’s pants.  
“Don’t start on the pants please,” you huffed and he gave you a genuine smile.  
“I wasn’t planning on commenting but might I suggest that even though I will be a dad, you are also taking care of a child?”

Diane and Lin stopped in their tracks as they heard you and Stephan giggle behind them.  
“Now, who’d have thought that the two of you would get along like this?” Diane teased but you could see the gratefulness in her eyes.  
“Baby steps,” you said but already felt yourself relax. Sure, Stephan and you had to patch up a lot of things that went wrong in the past few years but in this moment, you felt grateful to have your big brother back.

“We parked over there,” Stephan reminded Diane as you arrived at the parking lot and now Lin and you were following the married couple.  
“So far, so good,” he commented and you nodded. Seattle was even harsher with its weather and you shivered in the cold wind. Lin noticed and handed you his scarf which you draped around your shoulders, in addition to the one you were already wearing.

As you entered the car, you suddenly remembered that you had never been to their home. Stephan settled in the driver’s seat and checked on you and Lin in the back.  
“Everyone ready?” He asked and you nodded.  
“Where exactly do you live?” Lin asked and you were thankful that he picked up another conversation topic. While Stephan was busy getting the car out of the car park, Diane turned around to you.  
“We were quite lucky to get one of the more affordable houses in Laurelhurst. It’s about 30 minutes from here, so…,” she trailed off and Lin raised an eyebrow.  
“I have read about that area, quite affluent, right?”  
“You could say that,” Diane responded, suddenly sounding nervous and you realized that she didn’t know if you were judging her by the neighborhood. 

Sure, you would have loved to live somewhere fancy, but for now, that wasn’t something you were able to afford. You looked at her.  
“It sound’s lovely. I cannot wait to see your home,” you said and she gave you a grateful smile. After that she turned around again and Lin reached for your hand. Your fingers intertwined and he gave your hand an encouraging squeeze.

Most of the drive was a silent affair, you had slept on the plane but still felt the tiredness creep up from time to time. Stephan spoke up as you drove down a nice-looking street.  
“Not long now, have you eaten during the flight? I could get something if you are hungry. Bagels maybe?”  
Your stomach answered for you and Lin and Diane laughed as a loud rumble supported Stephan’s suggestion.

Your brother looked at you through the driving mirror and you rolled your eyes. You definitely enjoyed this new and caring side of him but it would probably also lead to a lot of new teasings.  
“I think that’s a yes. I’ll go and get something after dropping you off at home. Which is… here,” Stephan turned into a wide driveway and you almost fell out of the car, trying to see the house. Lin followed you, a bit slower, but he was also looking at Diane and Stephan’s home.

It was a big house. A really big one. As so many of the ones you had seen on your way, it was made of white wood and had three floors. You turned to Diane, “It looks amazing. But you will have to have a lot of children to fill all of the rooms!”  
She smiled and linked arms with you, “For now only one room will be a kid’s room. We have prepared a bedroom for you and Lin and one for your and Stephan’s parents. My parents can sleep at their own house. And who knows, maybe we’ll need an extra kid’s room in the future?”

Diane gave you a wink and you could feel yourself blush. Right, in her mind you had already dated for quite some time. Maybe you should tell her about what had happened. At some point in the future you probably would. Not now though.   
“Hey, a little help?!” Lin’s voice pulled you from your thoughts and you turned around. He was carrying the suitcase and garment bag and looked at you with raised eyebrows.  
“Looks like you have it under control!” You responded and walked with Diane towards the front door. You could hear Lin’s huff and Stephan’s chuckle behind you but he followed you. Albeit a little bit more grumpy than before.

Stephan promised to be back soon with something to eat, so Diane only showed Lin and you the house. Which made sense, since Stephan knew it and he probably had not been the driving force behind any of the decorations. You were immediately smitten with the dark hardwood floors and the country style in which Diane had furnished the rooms. You had expected her to lean more towards the clean-cut and modern style but had apparently judged her badly. As you had with so many things.

“Your bedroom is just up the stairs, second door on the right. I’ll get some coffee cooking while you can go and put your things away? Don’t bother freshening up just yet, dinner won’t be until this evening, right? Oh, there’s also a bathroom attached to your room. (Y/N), I have prepared a room for your parents a floor above that, no one wants to sleep next to their parent’s room, right?” Diane gave you another wink and you shook your head, she really was on a roll. What did she think you and Lin were up to? Trying to have sex on every item of furniture in her home?

“Thank you. We’ll be back in a minute,” you simply said and followed Lin up the stairs. He looked even more out of place in this very much grown-up house in his cartoon pants. He guessed your thoughts, “Are you already pissed off by the pants?”  
You laughed as he pushed open the door to your bedroom.  
“Almost but I will have to endure it,” you chuckled and stepped into the cozy room. It was actually quite big and the bed took centerstage. It looked fluffy and as if no one had ever really slept in it. 

Lin immediately let himself fall onto the bed and bounced a bit. You shook your head and opened the garment bag to free your dress and his suit from their prison. After putting them on hangers you turned to Lin again.  
“You are a man child.”  
“And you don’t mind,” he said in return and grabbed your hand. Before you were able to do anything, your boyfriend pulled you towards him, which meant next to him on the bed. It really was soft.

“Are you regretting coming here?” Lin asked and you sighed, playing with one of his strands of hair that had come loose.  
“I don’t regret it. I actually like Diane and I feel like Stephan is really making an effort.”  
“He’s a whole new guy, I love it!” Lin said and you laughed.  
“You could say that. But I am nervous about meeting my parents. Diane’s parents are really nice while mine are… well… complicated?”

“We’ve mastered enough already so we’ll conquer the parents, too,” Lin whispered and you smiled at him. It felt good to have someone so optimistic next to you. He stopped you from playing with his hair and propped himself up on his elbow. You stayed in your position and looked up at him.  
“Let’s hope so,” was all you said, hoping that he would be right.  
“Sounds good to me,” Lin responded and leaned down to press a kiss to your forehead. It was an intimate gesture and one you immensely enjoyed.

“We should probably head down, right?” Lin whispered into your hair and you nodded.  
“Diane said something about coffee.”  
“Well, who could say no to that?!” Lin was up in a second and you snickered, coffee was a strong argument for that man. You let yourself be pulled into a standing position and followed him downstairs into the big kitchen. 

Diane was sitting at the island in the middle, three cups of coffee before her.  
“Your house is gorgeous,” Lin began and she pushed two cups of coffee into your direction.  
“Thank you, it means a lot,” she then said and you noticed a light blush on her cheeks. It was kind of cute. You pulled your coffee towards you and took a sip, the coffee on airplanes was horrid and this one seemed to sing to you.

“Finally, good coffee,” you sighed and Diane nodded, smiling.  
“I think it’s impossible to buy bad coffee around Seattle, I can give you some to take with you to New York.”  
“Oh, thank you but I don’t have one of those fancy machines, way too expensive and there’s no space for that in my kitchen,” you said, not remembering that you were officially living with Lin. Who was sitting next to you and began coughing into his coffee. Diane raised an eyebrow and you hastened to add, “I mean, I forgot. Uh…” Right, how were you going to get out of this?

Luckily Stephan’s arrival interrupted the moment and you were glad to see him. One of the many firsts around him, now that you had decided to get along. Still, Diane kept looking at you, a thoughtful look on her face. You would have to come up with something to cover up that blunder.  
“I come bearing gifts. In form of bagels, I also bought cream cheese and we can toast the bread,” Stephan explained as if none of you had ever had bagels. It was actually quite funny to see him work in the kitchen, you had never seen him prepare anything else than boxed mac and cheese.

He asked Diane something about a neighbor he had met, which gave Lin the opportunity to turn to you.  
“Good job,” he mumbled and you felt your face grow hot.  
“We’ll have to tell them eventually,” you gave back and he nodded thoughtfully.  
“Maybe not today though,” Lin winked at you and looked up as Diane addressed you.

“I have already prepared a lot for tonight, so if you have any special wishes, there’s still enough time to do something about that,” she began and listed everything that she had planned to serve that evening. You suddenly felt very unprepared, this felt very grown-up and you swallowed nervously.  
“You should have said something, I could have provided a cake,” you said and realized that she had probably not thought about that.

Diane’s face lit up and she turned to Stephan, “Do you think we have space for one more pie, or cake?”  
Your brother looked at you, “I think there’s always space for more pie.”  
“If you don’t mind (Y/N), of course. I have all the ingredients for apple pie but wasn’t planning on making one. I have prepared a pumpkin pie but will be busy with the turkey and there’s something I have to drop off at the office, soooooo,” Diane trailed off and you nodded slowly.

“No problem, I can bake. That’s something I can do,” very intelligent. Stephan put a plate with a freshly toasted bagel in front of you.  
“You better eat, then. Diane can get scary when she plans things,” your brother smiled at his wife and you heard Lin laugh next to you.  
“Right… let’s eat,” you agreed and bit into the bread before you. Things would probably become a lot more stressful after that.

 

Stephan had not lied about Diane becoming scary once she was in planning mode. Lin and you were roped into peeling vegetables and the apples for your apple pie. You got a short break to prepare the dough and let it rest but after that she made you put the finishing touches on a casserole while Lin was discussing music choices for nice background noise during the dinner. Stephan had moved to the dining room to lay the table, which was wise since Diane was starting to become quite harsh.

When she left the house to drop something off at the office all of you took a collective breath and sat down for a minute.  
“She is a force to be reckoned with,” Lin grinned and Stephan nodded. You had never seen your brother intimidated, so that was a first (which you may or may not have told Daveed in a short text).  
“What’s left to do?” Lin asked and looked at his phone to check the time. You still had about four hours until the parents would arrive and Stephan sighed, rubbing his face.

“I think only the cake. The turkey should be fine, Diane will take care of the other stuff. (Y/N) still has to make the pie but we should probably bake it and the one Diane prepared while we’re eating. By the way, Lin, Diane wanted to know if you could play something on her piano later? If that is alright? She plays from time to time and had lessons as a child but I guess she wants to make use of my sister’s boyfriend,” Stephan smiled tiredly and Lin clasped his shoulder.  
“Of course, that’s also the only thing I am good at around here,” Lin said and you shared a laugh.

“Oh, and we also have to get ready. Diane has planned a whole hour for that.”  
“Women,” was Lin’s response and they both chuckled.  
“Well, this woman will create an outstanding pie now,” you declared and they looked at you. What they did not do was move.  
“Are you planning on watching me?” You asked and Lin nodded.  
“As long as Diane isn’t here to make us do things, I will watch,” he declared and Stephan nodded. Your brother had never watched you work, which made you a bit nervous, but you had no choice.

By the time Diane returned, Stephan and Lin had watched you prepare the filling for the pie and watched you cut out the adornments for the top. You had already filled the filling into the pie tin and created the lattice design on top. Both men were fascinated by how that worked and kept watching your every move. Diane joined them and after you finished cutting out a few more decorations, leaves and a nice apple, she made room in the fridge for the cake.

“It looks amazing (Y/N)!” Diane praised and you felt your ears grow hot.  
“It’s just an apple pie,” you protested and she put an arm around you, which was easy since she was a bit taller than you.  
“But you didn’t have to. We invited you.”  
“You are also using Lin as a piano guy later on,” Stephan reminded her and she shot him an icy glance. Once again, your brother quickly went quiet and you smiled.

“I think… I might have prepared everything well enough so that we can get ready,” Diane said and looked around the kitchen. You were in awe, even in your household, with your parents, Thanksgiving had always been stressful. Diane had managed to turn it into a semi-relaxed thing. Lin clapped his hands and looked at you.  
“I’ll take a shower first, you’ll need ages so I can do something else while you paint your face,” he gave you a smile but you still slapped him in a playful manner

Diane laughed behind you as you went up the stairs, apparently her and Stephan’s bedroom was on the same floor and you said goodbye for the moment. Lin kept his promise and showered first, which was a quick affair. He didn’t need to shave or anything like that, although he had joked about shaving off his goatee for Thanksgiving. The only thing that kept him from doing that was the fact that he had a two-show day on Saturday and the beard would not grow back in time. For which you were more than thankful. You checked your messages while you listened to him sing a song you never heard before under the shower. Daveed had gotten back to you and wished you a relaxed evening, he was also hosting his family and apparently way busier, being three hours in the future.

“Shower is free,” Lin’s voice pulled you from the depths of your phone. He was only wearing a towel and you got up, keeping an eye on him.  
“It’s very unseemly to walk around half-naked,” you said and heard him chuckle.  
“Well, you’ll just have to deal with it. The cartoon pants are gone, for now at least,” he commented and you rolled your eyes. That man was really something else. You grabbed your dress, you planned on getting ready in the bathroom to keep your look a surprise, especially since Lin had ordered that dress just for you.

Showering was a quick affair and while your hair began to air-dry, you applied make up and lathered your body in a fancy body lotion that Diane had put on one of the shelves. It smelled of cinnamon and you made a mental note to get some things from Bath and Bodyworks once your were back in New York.  
“Are you planning something in there? World domination?” Lin asked through the door.  
“No, just getting ready,” you said and heard him sigh.  
“I’ll read something. You’re taking sooooo long,” he whined and you couldn’t help but laugh.  
“Patience is a virtue,” you responded and heard him scoff.

After that, you got back to your makeup, a simple look with a thin black eyeliner and a blush that made you look more alive than you felt. The journey had taken its toll on you but you didn’t look like it. After applying some lip balm, lipstick was a big no-no during Thanksgiving, it would only get smudged, you blow-dried your hair and used your curling iron to put voluminous waves into it. A little bit of oil added some shine and you examined your face in the mirror. You looked good, in your opinion.

Since your mum hated women who didn’t wear a pantyhose, you had opted for stockings. You didn’t really like tights, although they were a lot easier to manage, but they never really fit you. Stocking stayed in place, at least with the help of a garter, and it additionally made you look a hundred percent more sexy. The power of underwear. Lin wouldn’t know of course, at least not immediately. The rest of you underwear was simple and, as almost every pair you owned, black.

The only thing left was the dress. You still hadn’t understood how Lin pulled it off but it was gorgeous. It fit you like a glove and the green fabric complemented your complexion perfectly. As before, you were stunned that it was the exact same color that he wore on stage. No, it was also the same material, you reminded yourself and smiled. After taking a few twirls and admiring the skirt swirling around your legs, you realized that you had left your shoes in the bedroom.

“Are you finally rea-“ Lin turned to you and left the word hanging in the air. You gave him a funny look and slipped into your high-heeled shoes, steadying yourself on the wall next to you. After that, you nervously smoothed the fabric of your dress and finally turned around completely to face Lin. He was still staring at you, his phone in his hand, obviously speechless. 

“Did I break the great Lin-Manuel?” You laughed and he took a deep breath.   
“No, I just… wow. You look amazing,” he said and took a step towards you. You stopped him with a wave of your hand.  
“I’ll have to look at you, too,” you explained and Lin did a slow turn as if he was modeling for you. He cleaned up pretty nicely, too. As discussed, he was wearing a black suit and a white shirt, accessorized with a dark green tie, which kind of went with your dress.

“I can see my reflection in your shoes,” you laughed and he joined in.  
“Then they are the right amount of shiny. Do you dare introduce me to your parents like this?” Lin asked and you pretended to think about it. Even his ponytail was neat, where had this dream of every mother-in-law been all this time? 

Lin walked up to you and pulled you closer.  
“I won’t dress like this again soon, so you should take a picture,” he whispered and you realized that you were now as tall as him since you were able to look directly into his eyes.  
“I will,” you muttered and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. Lin prevented you from breaking away and deepened the kiss. This time, you were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Guys, come downstairs, we have to put the finishing touches on the meal!” Diane almost yelled and Lin and you laughed heartily.  
“No rest for the wicked,” he chuckled and offered you his arm, a wise thought since it had been some time since you wore heels.  
“It seems like it,” you responded and he stopped you before leaving the bedroom.  
“Just to say it again, you look beautiful,” Lin whispered into your ear and you felt a shiver run down your spine.

Thanksgiving would probably be stressful. But as you walked dow the stairs, feeling Lin’s calming presence next to you, you felt ready to take on the world. Well, maybe not the world but at least your parents. Which were really hard to impress. Oh god, did you make the right choice? Could you still fly back?


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> I am on a work trip at the moment, so I am sadly not able to respond to any comments right now. They are still so very much appreciated though, thank you all for reading and continuing to support this story!
> 
> I did prepare this chapter before I went on the trip, so you’ll have something to read! x

Turns out, there was no way to get out of this. Lin and you joined Diane in the kitchen. Your sister-in-law looked beautiful in her light-blue dress, which actually came in a similar cut as the one you were wearing. According to her, Stephan was making sure that everything looked perfect in the dining room and, after Lin went to see what he was doing, you helped Diane put the food into fancy-looking bowls. 

“You look amazing,” you told her while transferring the gravy to a saucier. The blonde woman sighed and put down the mashed potatoes to look at you.  
“You think so?”  
“I would not have said it if it weren’t true,” you assured her and took the pot from her hands. You noticed that she was shaking slightly.

“Are you alright Diane?” You asked, following her earlier example by setting down the potatoes. Diane shrugged and took a deep breath.  
“I didn’t want to tell Stephan but maybe you’ll understand. I am kind of nervous to tell your parents about the pregnancy. The only people knowing right now are all of us and my mum. My dad will be thrilled but I am always wary when it comes to Gloria and David.”

You rarely heard your parent's real names so it took you a second to realize that she was talking about them. Then you nodded in support.  
“I get it, even Stephan and I get nervous around my parents. They will be happy with the news. And don’t worry. If things go south I’ll just tell them about my baking career.”  
Diane smiled at you and took your hands into hers, “Thank you, but I don’t think you should do that. Your work is great and if they don’t see that then they are obviously blind. I’ll get through this.”  
“If it makes you feel a bit better, I think Lin is secretly very nervous about meeting them.”

Diane went back to getting the mashed potatoes into their serving bowl and looked at you.  
“Really? Why though? He always seems so confident,” Diane dug deeper.  
“He usually is. But since my parents have been proven to be more than difficult in my past, he kind of got scared. I think he isn’t showing it but I can feel it,” you mused, arranging a few of the bowls on a tray.  
“Now I’ll tell you to not worry about it. They will love him, ok? He is an impressive guy.”

You looked at Diane while she was still talking about Lin being impressive and when your eyes met you both began chuckling.   
“Don’t tell him that, I will never hear the end of it,” you said and picked up the tray. Diane shook her head at your statement but didn’t stop you as you walked the short way to the dining room. 

Stephan and Lin were standing at the window, obviously keeping watch. Your brother turned around as you entered the room and sprinted over to help you with the tray.  
“Do you know where everything has to be on the table? If so, I can go back and get more things,” you asked and Stephan nodded, brows furrowed in concentration.  
“Diane showed me… We should be fine. You look good by the way!”

Lin turned around while listening to your conversation.  
“I have to agree,” he said and smiled at you. You threw him a look that told him to shut up and looked your brother over. Stephan was wearing a suit, a simple black one, just like Lin. His hair was smoothed down, now you were really able to see the graying strands in it. It still looked good though.  
“Right back at you,” you managed to say and got a nervous smile from him.

“I take it you are also nervous about meeting our parents?” You asked as he took the last bowl from the tray. Stephan let out something that sounded like a sigh and looked at you.  
“Always, you know how they can be.”  
Lin cleared his throat, “I don’t want to be the mean one but could you please refrain from making me even more nervous than I already am?!”  
Stephan smiled slightly and you picked up the tray from the table.

“No worries Lin, it will work out.”  
“It always works out, in some way,” your boyfriend responded and you smiled as you walked back to the kitchen. You had been right, he was definitely nervous. You had spotted the signs as soon as you walked into the dining room. He was clearly refraining from touching his hair, sometimes he tended to play with loose strands. Instead of doing that he had buried his hands in the pockets of his pants and began bobbing up and down on his feet.

Diane greeted you with more bowls and after two more runs, everything was on the table. It looked great and since you had looked at food for way too long by then, your stomach began rumbling at the sight of the fully laid table before you. Your thoughts were interrupted as you heard the doorbell. Diane was next to you in an instant.  
“That’s them, or at least one of the two parents couples,” she muttered and you looked for Lin.

He walked up to you and together with your brother and Diane you prepared to greet the guests.  
Luckily, Diane’s parents were first to arrive. They greeted their daughter with smiles on their lips and you immediately spotted the knowing glance between Diane and her mum, she was obviously looking forward to letting everyone know that her daughter was pregnant. They were also happy to see Stephan and even you, you had not seen them since Diane and Stephan’s wedding but welcomed the warmth they brought into the house.

When they turned to Lin, Diane’s mother paused, “I don’t know this handsome man!”  
Lin gave her a charming smile, “Lin-Manuel, but you can call me Lin, Mrs. Hayden.”  
Right, Diane’s maiden name had been Hayden. Her mother laughed.  
“And you can call me Theresa, Lin. I didn’t know that you would bring your boyfriend (Y/N), he is your boyfriend, right?”  
“It seems so Theresa,” you grinned and she gave you a playful shove.  
“Well done!”

Lin had moved to Diane’s father, who also offered to be called by his first name, Bert. So far, so good, Lin had mastered the test run when it came to parents. Diane took her parents to the dining room and before the rest of you was able to follow them, the doorbell rang again. You looked at Stephan and you both nodded. Lin kept his place and Stephan opened the door again.

'Mum really hasn’t changed,' you thought as you spotted her on the threshold. Her hair in a voluminous bun, your mum still managed to look as if she were descended from royalty. A very frosty royal house at that. She was wearing one of her favorite dresses, a black Chanel design and greeted your brother with two cheek-kisses.  
“Stephan, so glad that you and Diane offered to host this Thanksgiving,” she said, sounding at least a bit happy about it. 

Your dad followed in one of his old suits, a dark grey ensemble, while his thick horn-rimmed glasses were constantly threatening to slip down his nose. He had always been the one you got along with better but even he was a tough nut to crack. He put a hand on Stephan’s shoulder and you heard him tell your brother that their bags were still in the car and that they could get them later.

After talking to your brother, your parents turned to you and Lin. Your mother immediately raised an eyebrow.  
“So, (Y/N), you decided to grace us with your presence this Thanksgiving?”  
You decided to play nice, “As a matter of fact, yes. It’s been too long since I spent a day with family.”  
Your smile hopefully looked genuine and Stephan gave you a slow nod from behind your dad. 

“I am glad to see you again (Y/N),” your father began and walked up to you to give you a short hug.  
“And who might that be?” Your mother asked and gestured towards Lin as if he was a piece of furniture. You swallowed your rude response, it would do nothing good.  
“I brought my boyfriend. Mum, Dad, this is Lin. Lin, these are my parents, Gloria, and David (Y/L/N).”

Your mother gave you a surprised look while your dad enthusiastically shook Lin’s hand. He had never really met anyone you had dated and was apparently thrilled to finally get the chance.  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. and Mrs. (Y/L/N),” Lin responded and your dad stopped him with a wave of his hand.  
“Please, call us David and Gloria. It would be weird to be called by our last name during Thanksgiving, right darling?” He turned to your mother who gave him a brief smile.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Lin,” she finally said and followed your dad’s example. While Lin shook her hand, you could see her looking him over. 'Thank god for a well-fitting suit and hair gel,' you thought and Stephan took over by guiding your parents to the dining room. You and Lin followed them, arms linked, a few feet behind the rest of your family. Lin leaned close to you and whispered into your ear, “Well, they are certainly something.”

“You haven’t seen the worst of them yet,” you whispered back and he put his hand on the one you had on his arm.  
“I’ll be on my best behavior,” he promised and you looked at him. Maybe it would work, who knew at this point?  
“Let’s show them that I was able to find someone great,” you responded and he pressed a short kiss to your lips before you entered the dining room.

Lin kept his promise and even helped you with your chair, like a proper gentleman. Your mother kept observing Lin but eventually gave her prying eyes a break to address Diane.  
“You and Stephan have a lovely home Diane,” she began and your sister-in-law, who was sitting next to you, thanked her. Your mother wasn’t finished though.  
“I would have gone with another color for the walls but I guess everyone’s taste is different, right?”

Stephan gave your mother a cold look but kept quiet. Diane’s mother thankfully stepped in.  
“I believe so Gloria. The younger generation is a bit more daring than us, don’t you agree?”  
Your mother nodded slowly, obviously not happy about being talked to this way. She nevertheless managed to stay quiet until you began eating and instead of going after Diane again, she decided to corner Lin, something which you knew had been inevitable.

“So, Lin… what is it you’re doing? As your job,” she inquired and you felt Lin stiffen next to you. He cleared his throat and under Diane’s watchful eyes (you imagined her as a knight in shining armor in this situation since she adored Lin) he mustered an answer.  
“I work on Broadway,” he began and your mother immediately cut in.  
“On Broadway?” She threw you a look that made you gulp.

Lin was not deterred by that and continued, “Yes, on Broadway. I actually work as an actor on stage but I have also written a few plays.”  
Before he was able to define what it was exactly what he was doing, your mum turned to your father.  
“Can you believe it? She actually managed to find someone who probably makes even less money than her.”  
“Mum!” You protested and felt Lin’s hand reach for yours under the table. He squeezed your hand and you tried to relax a bit.

Your dad apparently also wanted to keep the peace a bit longer, so he turned to Lin and put on a smile. As a lawyer, he was used to managing difficult situations and even though he would have preferred you to follow in his footsteps (which ultimately fell to your brother), he had always tried to at least give you some kind of support. Unlike your mother.   
“So… on Broadway, huh? Have you always worked in the theater business?”

Lin sat up a bit straighter and shook his head, “I actually worked as an English teacher for some time before that.” You hadn’t been aware of that fact and gave him a surprised look. He smiled at you and your mother piped up again.  
“English?" she asked and you refrained from rolling your eyes.  
"Yes, at a high school. I liked it but eventually went back to writing musical theater, as I have done my whole life, to be honest,” Lin explained, still holding your hand beneath the table.

Diane interrupted the conversation by forcing Stephan to slice the turkey. Your brother obliged and, surprisingly, performed quite a good job. Even though the whole thing took more than ten minutes, your mother was still set on questioning Lin. Your apologetical eyes met Diane’s but she only gave you a smile. You remembered that she wanted to tell everyone about her pregnancy before dessert, so you were fine so far. You should probably put the pies into the oven soon though. You also prayed for another conversation topic.

“Are your parents American?” Your mother asked and you sighed. Right, she had her own agenda.  
Lin put his fork down and answered, “Actually, no. My parents are from Puerto Rico. I was born and raised in New York, but I guess you can see that I am not really your typical all-American boy from next door.”  
Diane chuckled and even Stephan grinned. Right, they knew that Lin was successful. Unlike your mother.

“If you don’t mind, may I ask what your parents are doing? I know a few people who have workers from Puerto Rico in their companies. In New York a lot of people also have small shops, right?”  
You groaned and now it was your time to squeeze Lin’s hand. You felt him shift and looked at him. He looked annoyed and revealed it with his answer.  
“So you are assuming that my parents work for someone else? Not that that would be shameful but you make it sound very disgraceful.”

Your mother was stunned, she probably hadn’t expected his question.  
“I… uh…,” your father stopped her with a look and Lin cleared his throat again.  
“I am not obliged to tell you anything about my family, but if you want to know. My mum is a clinical psychologist and my father works as a political consultant. I was raised in two languages and regularly spent time in Puerto Rico. I also went to university. Do you want to know more?”

You could feel that he was angry, to others he might have appeared annoyed but you felt his hand tremble in yours. You had warned him but even you had not realized how problematic your mother could get. You were relieved to see that your dad looked slightly horrified. Stephan looked from your parents to Lin and whispered something in Diane’s ear. She immediately sprung into action.  
“Lin, (Y/N), would you mind helping me with the pies?”

Your parents probably suspected that she didn’t need the help of both of you but no one stopped you when you followed your sister-in-law into the kitchen.   
"It was Stephan’s idea. I am so sorry. Lin, I don’t know what to say,” she began talking as soon as you reached the kitchen and Lin stopped her with a wave of his hand.  
“I should have expected it. (Y/N) already told me about how charming her mother can be.”

“Yeah, but usually their comments are directed at me. I am sorry. We shouldn’t have come. Or I should have attended on my own,” you whispered and Diane busied herself with the pies while giving you and Lin some space to talk. He took your hands in his and pulled you towards him.  
“It’s ok. It’s obviously not ok that your mother assumed so many things but it’s not your fault (Y/N). You know that, right?”

You nodded but couldn’t really look at him. Embarrassment burned inside you and you knew that your face had turned into a tomato.  
“I’ll get back to the dining room. Feel free to take a few more minutes,” Diane said, quietly, before leaving the kitchen.  
“Hey,” Lin mumbled and pulled you into an embrace, putting his chin on your head. 

You felt stupid, you should be the one comforting him, right? But why did you feel so helpless all of a sudden?  
“I am sorry. My mother is… I don't want to say evil but she had no right,” you said, breathing in Lin’s scent which made you immediately feel better.  
"I can take it. She is definitely not the first person that questions me. I didn’t appreciate the comment about my parents but it was not you who asked me these questions. So, you don’t have to beat yourself up over this, alright?”

“Ok,” you sighed and looked up at your boyfriend. You could see that he was a bit shaken by meeting your parents, or rather your mother. Your father usually sided with her, not wanting to argue but you had seen him furrow his brows as your mother had questioned Lin.  
“We should get back,” Lin said and you nodded slowly. He pressed a quick kiss to your lips and you couldn’t help but smile.

As you took your seats at the dining table again, your mother only gave you a pointed look. Your dad almost looked apologetical and you decided to focus on the food in front of you. Until your mother began speaking again.  
“(Y/N), have you finally found a better job than your funny baking business?”  
You set down your cutlery, blinking back tears of frustration but before you were able to respond in any kind of way, Diane stood up.

You had never seen her so angry before and everyone was staring at the petite blonde woman, now glaring at your mother.  
“Gloria, this was supposed to be a relaxed Thanksgiving. I know that tension has always been high in your family but I will NOT allow it today. I planned this for weeks and I invited you all for a reason!”  
You watched her, your mouth hanging open. Stephan had also stopped eating, looking from Diane to you, panic in his eyes. He had probably never seen her like this - or you hoped so for his sake.

“For a reason?” Your mother echoed, disbelief in her voice. Diane grew even angrier, something you had not believed to be possible.  
“Yes, can you stomach it? Probably not since you never stop to think about what other people might be capable of, right?”  
“Diane!” Her father cut in and Diane interrupted him before he was able to try and stop her.

“No dad, I have to say this. I always felt like the outcast but now I realize that I am not the only one that has felt this way when confronted with my in-laws. I have witnessed Stephan being criticized time and time again and I don’t even have to start with (Y/N). She is working her ass (a loud inhale by your mother followed this word) off to follow her dreams and you continue to undermine her. I met Lin a few weeks ago and he is lovely, so don’t you dare attacking him. They genuinely care for each other and I don’t want you to disturb their happiness.”

Your sister-in-law took a deep breath and you looked at Lin who was trying, and failing, to hide his smile. Diane’s face had become red and you noticed Stephan who was trying to get her to sit down. He wasn’t successful, so he only pushed a glass of water towards her, obviously trying to calm her down. Diane took a big gulp of water and finally sat down again.  
“And before anyone can ruin this and people might storm out,” Diane began and your eyes widened, was she really about to drop that bomb? “I am pregnant. There you go. Happy Thanksgiving.”


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back from being quite taken by work and sick for a week. Hope you enjoy the new chapter -- thanks for reading! x

You could probably hear a pin drop after Diane announced her pregnancy. It at least felt like it, especially when Stephan buried his head in his hands. Lin threw you a look to which you could only answer with a shrug, it had surprised you as much as anyone else at that table. Your mother had set down her cutlery and was staring at Diane while your dad simply let his mouth hang open.

Diane’s mother was smiling nervously while her father seemed shocked at the sudden revelation. Stephan cleared his throat, “We didn’t plan on telling you in this manner but since Diane is the one who is pregnant, she is the one to decide when and how to tell you.”  
He tried to smile as Diane nodded before she spoke up again, “And I had to go for the big guns to make you all behave. But in all seriousness, we actually invited you to announce the pregnancy.”

Your mother had found her voice again as she asked Diane how far along she was. For a minute everything seemed better, your parents were obviously glad about the news while Diane’s father was thrilled. Even Stephan relaxed slightly, his knuckles weren’t white anymore as he picked up his fork again. You let out a breath and looked at Lin again, who smiled at you, presumably also hoping for a break in the tension that had developed around the table. 

After finishing the main course, peppered with a lot of questions about the pregnancy which actually gave you some time to finally eat, Diane and you got the pies. Your father was extremely happy about this development, he loved pie almost as much as he loved your mother — he had at least always joked about that. As he regarded the pies, he looked at you.  
“You were in charge of the apple pie?”

You raised an eyebrow but nodded, “Yes, why?”  
“It looks good, professional in a sense.”  
This brought your mum back to the topic of your job and overall life and as soon as you had all settled down, she addressed Diane again.  
“About the baby my dear, I am quite glad that Stephan and you decided to procreate. Our family name will be preserved.”

She gave you a pointed look and once again Diane jumped in, “(Y/N) could have kids too, you know that, right?”  
Your mother clicked her tongue, “Well, they would carry another name, wouldn’t they? I also worry about this topic. (Y/N), you seem to have finally found a boyfriend but with your... business I don’t see you having kids in the future. How would you afford them? You don’t have a lucrative job as Stephan and Diane have and Lin probably isn’t bringing home a lot of money with his Broadway shenanigans.”

Oh, she was back again. Lin had stopped eating, furrowing his brows and since neither you nor he answered, your mother looked to her favorite child, your brother.  
“Don’t you agree, Stephan? You have always been the more rational one, looking toward the future and planning."  
You tried to come up with a good comeback but this time your brother decided to say something, which would have never happened three months ago and still took you by surprise.

Stephan cleared his throat, the annoyance clear in his eyes.  
“Mother, I have to disagree. Diane and I recently visited (Y/N) and Lin in New York and if you cared enough, you would have realized that she is doing quite well. The baking business seems to be thriving, the pie you are currently consuming should be evidence for that. She’s also much more than a simple baker, she collaborates a lot with her boss and I can definitely see her climbing up the career ladder in the future. As for Lin, I would say he is successful enough for you to hopefully wish you had never thought anything less of him.”

You stared at Stephan and realized that Lin was trying to stop smiling next to you, enjoying the scene tremendously. You kicked him lightly beneath the table and waited for your brother to continue. Your mum was too stunned to say anything in return, looking from Stephan to Lin, doubt evident in her eyes.

“Since Lin isn’t the bragging type, which is my perception of him, I will tell you a bit about him. Believe me, I wasn’t happy about my sister dating an artistic man. Even if he weren’t successful I would be happy to welcome him to our family, he is a really good man, Diane and I had a wonderful time in New York. Apart from being nice, you should also know that Lin has won an Emmy, a Tony, and a Grammy. His first musical was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He is the creator of Hamilton and also plays Alexander Hamilton on stage. With how well the musical is perceived so far I assume that he will take home even more prizes than with his first hit. That’s it... so... please, behave.”

Lin smiled at your brother, who stared at his plate, obviously uncomfortable, “Stephan, if anyone asks me to summarize my accomplishments, I might just hit you up and ask you to turn your little speech into a text. You could also manage my Wikipedia. Thank you!”  
Your mum finally turned to Lin and you were delighted to see that her ears were bright red from embarrassment.  
“I... don’t know what to say,” she mumbled and you relished in the fact that you had never seen her so abashed.

Lucky for her, Lin tended to be nice around almost everyone.  
“I’d start with ‘I am sorry for underestimating my daughter and her brilliant boyfriend’,” he grinned and you rolled your eyes. Your mum mumbled a half-hearted apology, while your dad stared at Lin.  
“You... wrote the Hamilton musical?”  
“I have to say that yes, I did,” Lin answered and chuckled. Diane grinned at him as a proud mother would look at her child.

“Wow,” was all your dad managed to say and you laughed about the different reactions from your parents, while your mum was still coming to terms with having been put in her place, your dad obviously tried to contain his excitement. He was a history lover. Lin quickly realized this too and gave your hand a squeeze.  
“How about you come to New York soon and watch the show? We could try to do this whole getting to know each other again and you could see where your daughter works and how I make money?”  
Your dad nodded enthusiastically and you sighed. Thank god Stephan had intervened. You turned to look at him and mouthed a silent ‘Thank you’. He nodded in your direction and continued shoveling pie into his mouth. Stress eating had always been one of his ways to cope with being put into the spotlight and Diane had to stop him before he choked. She would definitely have to care for two children in the future.

 

After almost everyone had eaten enough to survive for three weeks without food, and thankfully without any unpleasant interruptions (thanks to Stephan), you got up and stretched.  
“I don’t think I want to see food again for at least two days,” you mumbled and Diane laughed.  
“We’ll see about that once breakfast rolls around,” she said and helped her mother up from her chair. Stephan tried to begin and clear the table but Diane stopped him.  
“Let’s just get the leftovers to the fridge, we can clean up tomorrow. I am really tired,” she sighed and you realized that this evening had also weighed on her nerves.

Diane’s parents promised to come by for breakfast the next day and while your parents were sleeping over, they simply drove home since they were only living 15 minutes away. After saying goodbye, your mother was standing in the kitchen, awkwardly watching you and Diane put away the last remnants of the food.  
“Mum, can I help you with anything?” You asked, not wanting to provoke her in any way but she also made you nervous.

“Since your dad and I will retire for the night in a few minutes I just wanted to ask if you know if it would be possible to have a cup of tea?”  
Well, it wasn’t an apology but the nicest way she had addressed you that evening. You promised her to prepare a cup and get it to her afterward and she thankfully left the room. Lin and Stephan were still in the living room, probably talking about their experiences of the evening.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get that tea to your mother. Lin and you should go and relax. I am so sorry for what happened tonight,” Diane had walked up to you and you almost jumped, she could walk really quietly. After you calmed your racing heart, you took her hands in yours.  
“It’s not your fault Diane. I knew that my mother would start a fight. I hope it’s ok for you that you had to basically blurt out your pregnancy announcement.”

She laughed and shook her head, “That’s completely fine. Was probably for the best because I had already begun to get cold feet. By the way, I didn’t know how well acquainted Stephan was with Lin’s accomplishments.”  
She elbowed you and you heard someone clear their throat behind you. Stephan and Lin had entered the kitchen and you spotted the light red color on your brother’s cheeks.  
“I might have expected a scene like that and did my research,” he admitted.

You couldn’t help yourself, you simply had to walk up to him and hug him. You felt Stephan stiffen for a second, then he relaxed into your touch. Lin gave you a slow-clap but you could see the thankfulness in his eyes.  
“I’m good, thank you,” Stephan mumbled into your hair and you let go of him. Diane chuckled and took a step towards your group. She was carrying the promised cup of tea for your mother.  
“As much as I love all of us getting along, I want to sleep. Stephan, could you be a dear and get this cup of tea to your mother? I still have to take off my make up and since Lin and (Y/N) are guests, they should be allowed to retire as well.”

“Sounds good,” Lin smirked and you stifled a yawn. The day had really taken a good chunk of energy out of you. Diane patted your back and after saying goodnight, you and Lin walked up the stairs, ready to get some sleep. He was walking in front of you and opened the guest bedroom door for you as you reached it.

“Such a gentleman,” you laughed and he shrugged.  
“I do what I can,” was his simple answer and you rolled your eyes at the seemingly nonchalant response. Lin closed the door and you immediately pulled your shoes from your feet.  
“Oh, that feels amazing,” you sighed and wiggled your toes. Lin observed you, a smile on his lips.  
“By the way,” you continued and he gave you a questioning look, “I am sorry about what happened during dinner. Thank god Stephan stepped in, I didn’t know what to say.”

Lin walked up to you and cupped your face in his hands, “It’s not your fault, alright? I loved Stephan’s rescue. Let’s just hope that we can convince your parents to come and visit us, ok? If they agree, we can show them how amazing your life is.”  
You scoffed and he stopped you from saying anything else by pressing a kiss to your lips.  
“Now, enough about what went wrong tonight. You want to know something that went really right?” Lin asked and you nodded against his chest, now once again smaller than him.

“You look amazing in that dress. I did tell you that, right?”  
“You might have mentioned it,” you commented and felt him laugh. He grew silent again and you lifted your head to look at him. Lin was looking down at you, serious for a moment. You slowly put your arms around his neck pulling him down to your face. Your lips met again and he quickly kissed you back, just as you had wanted him to. It didn’t take long for him to press closer to you, effectively trapping you between him and the wall. One of Lin’s hands snaked up behind your head and slid into your hair, gently tugging on your strands.

You let him take control over the kiss, your eyes half-closed as he lowered his head even more, pressing kisses along your jaw and the curve of your neck. His mouth wandered up to your lips again, still pressing you against the wall. Pleasure built within you at each kiss and you let out a breathless moan as he let go of your lips to give you an almost dirty smile.  
“I think it’s time to take the nice dress off,” Lin murmured into your ear, his voice suddenly very low.

Before you were able to answer him, he caught your mouth in another kiss, pulling you towards him. Now you raked your hands through his hair, getting rid of the hair tie and letting your fingers massage his scalp. Lin let his hands wander under your skirt and you grinned.  
“You definitely know what you're doing,” you said and he gave you a wryly look.  
“I might have thought about it during dinner,” he admitted and his hands traveled higher, stopping as he realized that you were wearing stockings.

You bit your lip but couldn’t help and smiled at him.  
“Now I really have to get a look at that situation,” Lin said and you laughed. He began working on your clothes again, making you turn so that he was able to pull down the zipper of your dress. His hands were soft and you relished in his careful touch. It didn’t take him long to pull down your dress, helping you step out of the garment and putting it to the side. You chuckled as you watched him putting down the dress gently on a nearby chair.

“Hey, I don’t want to ruin the dress!” He explained himself and you pulled him towards you, pressing a kiss to his jaw.  
“I appreciate it. But isn’t it a bit unfair that you are still fully clothed?!”  
Lin shook his head and pushed you back against the wall. One hand got quickly back to being tangled in your hair while his other traveled down, grazing the hem of your panties. Just this gesture made you groan and he quickly covered your mouth with the hand that had, up till then, played with your hair.

You realized that this forethought had been the right decision since his hand stifled the moan you let out as his fingers slipped into your panties, teasing your folds with featherlight touches. He stopped his movements until you calmed down and removed his hand from its place, earning an annoyed grumble from you. When you reached out to loosen his tie, he let you go through the motions but when you started to unbutton his shirt, Lin stopped you with his hands. You smirked at him.

“Seems like someone has a plan,” you commented and he shrugged off his suit jacket.  
“As I said, I had a lot of time to think about it,” Lin responded and pulled you into another kiss. His mouth trailed lower down your neck as he began to once again play with the hem of your panties.  
“Just take them off, for God’s sake!” You panted and Lin laughed against your shoulder. Instead of following your wishes his hands trailed up your body, resting on the clasp of your bra.  
“Let’s start with that, ok?” Lin asked and you nodded.

In a matter of seconds, your bra joined the dress on its chair and Lin was back to kissing the curve of your throat. His beard lightly scratched your skin as he traveled lower, sending pleasant shivers down your spine. You could feel him huff out a laugh against your sensitive skin and pulled him up to your face again, even though he had made you feel amazing so far.

“Let me at least take off your shirt,” you complained slightly and he laughed again.  
“I don’t think anyone has ever been that eager to get me out of my clothes,” he smiled and since you did not hear any protest, you quickly stole a kiss from him and began unbuttoning his shirt. Lin watched you work and helped you push the material off his shoulders.  
“Satisfied?”  
You met his question with a smirk, “We’ll see.”

Lin turned you around and you made your way towards the bed. He watched you fall onto it and before you could wonder what he was about to do next, he lay down next to you. Instead of letting him take the lead again, you hooked your leg around his hips and pulled him against you, feeling him stiffen. Your lips found his and it did not take him long to once again trail kisses down your neck. You turned your head to give him better access and gasped as his teeth grazed your skin. 

Lin’s other hand ran up your thigh and you felt yourself shiver in anticipation. His kisses turned more fervent, almost demanding and you felt his hand travel down your stomach, stopping before he reached your panties. The warmth of his lips suddenly left your neck and you rolled your eyes.  
“Don’t you dare Miranda,” you threatened breathlessly and he laughed hoarsely against your skin.  
“When I'm through, you’ll beg me for more,” he replied and your eyes widened. Was he for real?

You reached for him, to pull him down to you for another kiss but Lin pressed a finger to your lips, “How about a little patience?”  
“You’re one to talk,” you mumbled but stayed still. The audacity of this man.  
Lin continued watching you carefully as his hand wandered across your body, pausing to trace your breasts and hips while going lower and lower. It felt as if his fingers left a fiery path and you felt his eyes on you as you squirmed beneath his touch.

“So far, you seem to like it,” Lin grinned and before you could respond, he pressed a teasing kiss behind your ear, “Patience pays off, right?”  
“Please,” you gasped and he gave you a questioning look.  
“Please what?”  
“Oh come on.”  
“Use your words, I did not expect you to go to begging so easily.”

You rolled your eyes and took a deep breath, “I need you. I need you to make me feel good.”  
You felt yourself blush but without a moment’s hesitation, Lin’s lips met yours. You let your hands grasp his shoulders and returned the kiss hungrily. His hand finally found its way to your panties. Since you were still wearing your garter, he quickly unclasped the stockings and finally pulled down your panties. You helped him get them off and let out a relieved breath.

Lin’s fingers expertly found your clit and you groaned, loudly. He shot you a stern look and you remembered to keep quiet. Since he could not put his other hand over your mouth without falling down on you, you had to remember to not be too loud. It got increasingly harder as Lin sped up the rhythm of his fingers and you arched against his touch. It wouldn’t take you long to come and he knew it, especially after the way he had teased you. Your hands reached for his arms, any kind of thing you could hold on to as the pleasure kept building and you fought to swallow every sound you wanted to make.

You writhed in pleasure, your heart hammering in your chest as his fingers continued their work. Suddenly, your climax overcame you and you could not withhold a loud moan. Lin let go off you as quickly as he brought you to bliss and pressed his hand over your mouth, muffling your sounds.  
“Didn't we agree on being quiet?” He whispered and instead of answering, you reached toward his pants, impatient to get him out of them.

As your fingers grazed the material that was still covering the bulge you had already felt pressing against your hips, Lin sucked in a deep breath and you grinned.  
“Now, who is impatient?” Your teasing led to a breathy laugh from the man next to you and instead of letting you take the lead, Lin got rid of his pants on his own. It did not take him long, which was honestly not surprising.

As he was undressed he crawled back to you, kissing you deeply. You let out a quiet gasp as your naked bodies finally pressed together. Lin propped himself up on his elbow and brushed back your hair from your face. It was a surprisingly gentle gesture between the heated kisses and impatient touches. Even though you liked the sweet touch, you decided to take things into your own hands, quite literally, and reached down, grabbing his length and stroking it.

Lin was obviously surprised by your forwardness. He closed his eyes for a moment as his breath hitched and you felt the hand that had brushed your hair behind your ear tremble slightly.  
“We have to be quiet. For real now, I don’t want my mum coming in here because she hears us,” you said and Lin nodded, collecting his senses. He opened his eyes again and finally rolled on top of you.

“Ready to be as quiet as possible?” Lin’s breath was hot against your ear and you nodded. When he took your hips and slowly guided himself into you, you threw your head back, his name a faint whisper on your lips. Lin gave you a second to adjust to the situation before he began moving slowly. He leaned down again, trailing kisses down your throat but you could feel his ragged breath against your collarbone as he paused his actions. Being quiet was seemingly as hard for him as it was for you.

Pleasure began coiling through you as the movements became quicker and you dug your fingernails into his back.  
“(Y/N),” your name sounded like a warning on Lin’s lips and you let your nails scratch down his back, which was rewarded with a low groan from the man above you.

You knew that you would not last long, especially since every thrust continued to build up the pleasure inside you. Lin seemed to understand the way in which the sensation began to overwhelm you. His thrusts became more determined, apparently set on wanting to tumble over the edge with you. You felt yourself being pressed hard against the mattress, wiping every coherent thought from your mind. It got harder and harder to keep quiet and once again Lin saved you.

As you let the feeling overcome you, he lightly pressed his hand against your mouth, letting you ride out your high without being discovered by the other inhabitants of the house. While you were still coming down, he stiffened above you, burying his head against your shoulder as he found his own release. It took you both a few seconds to gather your breaths but you could still feel Lin kissing your neck before he rolled over onto his back.

Exhausted you lay on the bed, still breathing hard. As you turned your head you caught Lin grinning at you and you followed his example, stifling your laugh. It was kind of surreal to be in Diane and Stephan’s house, that was for sure. Lin pulled you into his arms, pressing a kiss to your forehead.  
“That was something else,” he mused and you nodded.  
“Let’s never tell anyone about it, alright? I don’t want Stephan to ever find out.”

You could feel Lin laugh by the rumble that shook his chest. Placing your hand on his heart, you finally began to calm down. Lin’s fingers were playing with your hair as you felt him pull the blanket over you with his other hand. Maybe Thanksgiving had not been that bad after all.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I have returned to update this story with a filler chapter. I hope it's still worth the wait but I had to wrap up the visit and get on with it!  
> It might take me a bit longer (again) to update in the upcoming weeks, work always picks up towards the end of the year but I promise to not abandon this. I also cannot believe that it's been nine months since I started posting this, very weird :D

You opened your eyes to the smell of coffee. Confused you turned around, spotting two steaming mugs on the bedside table that had not been there when you fell asleep. Who had put them there? You felt Lin shift behind you, he had rolled over in bed and you realized that he was now nosing the crook of your neck, almost humming in content. As you shifted against him he absentmindedly rubbed his beard against your skin and you suppressed a giggle. 

“What-chu laughin’ at?” Lin mumbled into your neck and you turned around to face him. He looked deliciously sleepy and you felt your heart swell as you examined the face of the man next to you. He blinked lazily.  
“Someone brought us coffee,” you whispered and a smile spread on his face.

“Happy about coffee?” You inquired and he shook his head, propping himself up on his left elbow.  
“No, I was just smiling because you look a bit like the Joker,” he snickered and you gave him a stern look. Right, you had definitely not taken off your make up the night before. You were also still wearing your garter belt, which was an interesting look for sure. Lin reached over you and took one of the cups.  
“Must have been Diane, right? I like your brother by now but he does not seem like someone who would do this,” Lin muttered lying against a cushion. 

“I guess so," you answered and followed his lead by taking the cup he left. A comfortable silence fell over you but you quickly noticed that he was looking at you.  
“What? Something else you want to say about my Joker face?”  
Lin chuckled but shook his head. He reached for your hand and interlaced his fingers with yours.  
“Just kind of happy to spend this day with you. I even liked yesterday, apart from a few things,” he raised your linked hands and pressed a kiss to your skin.

“Yeah, apart from a few things,” you agreed and smiled at him. Lin kept your hand in his while you sipped your coffees. After a few comfortable minutes he put his now empty cup into your hand and stretched.  
“I’ll catch a shower. We don’t want to be too late for breakfast, right?” Lin asked and you smiled.  
“You're just hungry,” you commented and he pressed a kiss to your temple.  
“Maybe, otherwise I would love to spend my day in bed with you…”

With these words Lin rolled out of bed and padded over to the adjoining bathroom. You were in the middle of giving him the elevator, admiring the naked man in your room, as you noticed the red scratches on his back.  
“Oh my god. Lin. I think I might have hurt you last night! Your back!”  
He turned to you, trying to look at his own back until he realized that it was not possible which led to him laughing.

“I cannot feel it so it should be fine. But good to know,” he winked at you and vanished in the bathroom, leaving you to your thoughts. As you listened to the shower and Lin’s humming your mind wandered back to the day before. You were still horrified by the various things your mother had said and even though Stephan had intervened, you were angry at her prejudices against Lin and, as always, you. When Lin returned you were about ready to fight your mum but seeing him, a towel around his hips and hair still dripping, made you think of other things.

“Do you think someone heard us last night?” You asked and Lin chuckled.  
“I don’t know. Maybe not. No one interrupted us so that is a plus,” he mused, a grin on his face. You shook your head at his comment and left the bed to take a shower yourself. Once you got back to the bedroom, Lin was dressed, wearing a dark pair of jeans and a sweater, looking more like himself than the day before. You had taken off your make up during your shower and had only applied tinted moisturizer and mascara to your face and lashes to look presentable.

“I am hungry," Lin almost whined and you sighed as you put on your jeans and the knitted sweater you had packed, thankful for the comfort it gave you.  
“Ok, let’s go downstairs, we still have a few hours before we need to pack and get back to New York,” you said and Lin nodded. Your flight left at 4pm which meant that you would arrive in New York around midnight. That was certainly not ideal since Lin had a double show day on Saturday but he had agreed to the plan. You already made a mental note to bring him coffee during the break.

It was surprisingly quiet in the house and when you entered the kitchen you only spotted Diane sitting at a small table. She looked up at you and gave you a smile.  
“Did you sleep well?” She sounded a bit rough but that had probably something to do with the morning. Lin and you nodded and sat down. Diane immediately handed over a bread basket, filled with toast.  
“I am afraid there’s not a bigger selection today. I didn’t feel up to it,” she explained and you noticed that she was looking paler than the day before.

“Are you feeling sick?”  
Diane met your question with a shrug and took a sip of what looked like tea.  
“I guess it’s just morning sickness. I’ve been feeling rough for the past week. But it should be gone soon. I also immediately want donuts after I feel sick, so Stephan has already gone out to get some,” she said and Lin chuckled.  
“You’ve trained him well,” he commented and they both laughed.

“Did you enjoy the coffee I brought up?”  
“So it was you!” Lin exclaimed and Diane nodded.  
“I wanted you to wake up to something nice. I was also counting on actually waking you up,” she laughed and you took a bite from your toast.  
“It definitely worked,” Lin said and Diane got up.  
“Do you want another coffee? By the way, (Y/N), your parents are still asleep.”  
“Thank god,” you sighed, “But I would love another coffee.”

Lin indicated that he would like another as well and all three of you spent some time in silence, focusing on other things. Diane was busy making coffee while you looked out the window, enjoying the view, something you were not able to do in your New York apartment. Lin was looking at his phone, his brows furrowed and you gave him a nudge, “Everything alright?”

“Sure, same old. Had to look at some things for tomorrow but it’s taken care of. By the way, I did check Twitter. They seem to have calmed down a bit. Some paparazzi took pictures of us at the airport so that’s all over the Hamilton fandom right now,” Lin laughed and handed you his phone. It only took you a second to look at the picture and cringe. You looked alright but Lin’s pants really were not made for the outside world. Lin laughed at your pained expression but quieted down as Diane returned.

She put down two mugs in front of you and Lin and took a seat.  
“Now I want the donuts,” she concluded and you started laughing.  
“Let’s hope that Stephan will be back soon,” you chuckled and, as if on cue, you heard the front door open. Stephan walked into the kitchen, carrying a big box which probably contained about 20 donuts.  
“I thought it would be wise to bring more, since we do have guests,” he explained as he set down the box. Diane didn’t waste a second and opened the box, immediately going for the chocolate glazed donuts.

Stephan gave you a helpless look and you shrugged. After he put away his jacket he joined you and cautiously reached for a simple donut. Diane watched him but didn’t say anything, so he finally took it.  
“Looks like it’s dangerous to eat donuts in this house,” Lin commented and Stephan let out a nervous chuckle.  
“Two days ago I ate one of the chocolate donuts. Diane didn’t talk to me for three hours.”  
“You deserved it,” was Diane’s reply and you all smiled. The relaxed atmosphere did not last long since your parents finally made their appearance. Diane got up again to make more coffee and your parents sat down, making it feel crowded around the table. You scooted to the left, thankful that Stephan followed you so you did not have to sit next to your mother.

“Slept well?” Lin asked in the general direction of your parents and while your mum kept quiet, your dad nodded hesitantly.  
“I’d say so, although since I have gotten older I continue to sleep less and less. Still, I enjoyed the bed and we can only thank Diane and Stephan for hosting us,” your dad had always been the one who tried to find something good even if he did not have the best experience. Your mum simply nodded and took the cup of coffee that Diane was handing her.

She then eyed the box on the table, “Donuts for breakfast?”  
Diane took another one, “It’s the only thing I can stomach after being sick all morning.”  
Stephan leaned back in his chair and nodded, “Donuts are the on thing that make her happy right now. Apart from me I hope.”  
You chuckled, it didn’t happen often but you loved seeing the softer side of Stephan.

“Sure,” was all Diane had to say and your mother set down her cup.  
“When… I was pregnant with (Y/N) I only wanted to eat profiteroles. Every day.”  
Did your mother actually sound propitiatory? Stephan shot you a surprised look and you decided to go for it, for the sake of having a civil conversation.  
“Only profiteroles?” You checked and she nodded.  
“Well, I also ate savory food but I needed to have at least one sweet treat a day. Drove your dad insane,” she looked at your father who was looking back at her, a gentle expression on his face.

You had rarely seen them as a loving couple but right now your parents looked very much in love. Their relationship apparently worked for them. Stephan was obviously baffled as well, looking from your parents to you. All of a sudden, it didn’t feel that tense and weird anymore, you knew that you still had to stay on your toes regarding your mother but allowed yourself to relax for a second.

Once again the arrival of someone else disturbed the atmosphere. As promised, Diane’s parents had dropped by to have breakfast which led to Diane suddenly remembering that she had not really prepared a spread.  
“It doesn’t matter honey,” her mum chuckled and the table got even more crammed. More coffee followed and you actually spent the next hour chatting with everyone around the table. 

Lin was almost interrogated by your father, asked about the things he had done to get Hamilton to Broadway and you looked at them with a smile on your face. Your mum and Diane’s mother were talking about baby stuff while Diane and Stephan told you about their plans once the baby would arrive.  
“I will take some time off or rather work on some things from home,” she explained while finishing the last donut.  
“I told her to not do any work but alas…,” Stephan sighed and she gave him an annoyed look.

“I want to work. I might be tired and stressed but I want to do something other than look after the baby. Don’t get me wrong, I cannot wait to finally meet the little tot but I don’t want to loose my drive. Just give the easy cases to me and you can stick with the real work, deal?”  
You suddenly understood why they were able to work together as well as they did. Lin had noticed to and shot you an amused look. He then looked at his phone.  
“Oh… I think we should make sure that everything is packed. Our flight leaves in four hours and we still have to get to the airport and check-in and all that business,” he said and you nodded.

“Right, we’ll be back,” you agreed.  
Lin and you got up and made your way to your bedroom. You let out a long breath as you closed the door and Lin smiled at you.  
“Looking forward to going home?” He asked and pulled you into his arms. You nodded slowly.  
“I didn’t even talk that much to my mum today but I cannot wait to get back home.”  
Lin pressed a kiss to the top of your head and you felt him rest his cheek against your forehead. The stubble on his jaw tickled you but you stayed put.  
“I actually had a nice talk with your dad. They will have to come and visit at some point but I convinced him to wait until next year.”

You looked up at the man who was holding you, “You’re the best.”  
“I try,” he replied and let go off you, “Now, let’s take care of our stuff and we might have enough time to squeeze in another coffee before we have to leave.”  
Packing didn’t take that long. You made sure to securely pack your dress and Lin’s suit in the garment bag but the rest of the clothes, you simply threw them into the suitcase. As you closed the garment bag you thought back to the night before which immediately led to your ears turning red. Lin noticed too and approached you.

“Something wrong?”  
“No, I just remembered yesterday… night,” you stammered and Lin grinned. He obviously enjoyed the fact that you were so flustered about the events.  
“I did not expect you being so bashful about this. You were the one who gave me a blowjob in my dressing room,” he laughed and you groaned. Right, you had done that.  
“Are you complaining?” You asked and he threw up his hands in defense.  
“Nope, not in the slightest,” Lin grinned and you shook your head. Now he was probably counting on it happening again. Well, never say never right?

After packing everything you made sure to take a last look around the room, making sure that you had not forgotten anything. Lin took hold of the suitcase and you grabbed the garment bag, carrying both down the stairs and putting them next to the door, ready to be picked up when you had to leave.  
As if she had sensed it, Diane welcomed you back with two steaming cups of coffee. Her parents had left again and now you were left with your parents again. Lin took a look at his watch, “We still have another 40 minutes until we have to leave, so we can hang out a bit more.”

You nodded and walked over to the fridge to get some milk for your coffee. Lin was talking to Diane and Stephan and your father was contentedly watching them. As you closed the fridge to walk back to the table you had to suppress a scream.  
“Mum, why did you sneak up on me?!” You didn’t want to sound hysterical but your voice definitely sounded shrill. Your mum gave you a look that could almost be seen as apologetical, so you decided to remain calm.  
“I am sorry, I just wanted to talk to you,” she said. Lin had noticed that she was talking to you and gave you a questioning look. He was apparently ready to fight your mum but you gave him a slight nod, signaling that everything was alright.

“Ok… so… what did you want to talk about?” You asked and set down the milk.  
“I know that we never really got along well (Y/N),” she began and you scoffed.  
“That’s and understatement mum, but go on.”  
“To be honest I don’t think we will ever see eye to eye but I want you to know that I am proud of you. You are not following any of the career paths I would have loved to see in your future but you seem to be doing well, you have your own apartment in New York(you decided to not tell her that it was more of a spacious living room but ok) and found yourself a good man. I know that I can be unfair and kind of, well, demanding but I hope that we can be civil with each other. I loved seeing you and Stephan getting along yesterday and today and I would like us to spend the time we have together in a more relaxed way.”

You could not help but stare at your mother, everything you could have said in return suddenly left your mind. Had she actually kind of apologized? Your mum almost seemed nervous and reached for your hand, squeezing it clumsily.  
“Are you alright (Y/N)?” She then whispered and you let out a small laugh.  
“I, yes, I am. Thank you mum. Let’s settle on being more relaxed around each other, alright? But… if you ever insult Lin or me again it will have consequences,” you said and she nodded solemnly.  
“I understand, thank you,” your mum gave you a small smile and you returned it.  
“Can I get back to the table now?” You asked, feeling awkward and she made way for you, following you back to the others.

As soon as you sat down, Lin placed his hand reassuringly on your thigh, giving you a gentle squeeze. You smiled at him, how did you get so lucky with him? Diane was explaining to everyone how she wanted to design the nursery and you listened to her, continuing to feel Lin’s hand on your thigh, making you feel more relaxed than before. Even your mum chimed in on the discussion from time to time, making sure to go with Diane’s ideas and adding to some of them. Overall the last hour of your visit could not have gone better and you almost felt a bit sad to leave Diane and Stephan.

Since your parents would leave later that day Diane decided to stay with them while Stephan would drive you to the airport. As you said goodbye you received a warm hug from your dad, an awkward one from your mum and one that left you with little air from Diane. Your sister-in-law let go of you again and smiled, “You will have to come back soon, alright? Without the Thanksgiving stress,” she began and leaned closer to you, whispering in your ear, “You can have the same room as last night. I think you enjoyed that one, huh?”

“What?” You asked and she gave you a wink. Oh God, she knew. She had heard you. Lin was oblivious as he said goodbye to everyone but as soon as you followed your brother to the car you took his hand and made him walk a bit slower.  
“Diane heard us!”  
“What?” He had the same reaction as you.  
“Yesterday. She heard us. This is so embarrassing,” you groaned and he laughed. Stephan turned around, looking at you questioningly, “Everything alright?”  
“Yeah, no worries,” Lin shot back and you sighed. Men.

The drive to the airport didn’t take too long and as you arrived it was time to say goodbye to your brother.  
“So… that’s it I guess,” Stephan said and you nodded, suddenly feeling sad. That was new.  
“We’ll be back soon or you can come to visit us,” Lin pulled your brother into a hug which Stephan reciprocated in his stiff Stephan-way. You laughed at both of them and after Lin took hold of your luggage you hugged your brother.

“I really enjoyed staying with you. Don’t be a stranger,” you told him and Stephan nodded, patting your cheek. It was weird but also kind of endearing.  
“Let us know when you get home,” he said and you nodded.  
“Will do, goodbye!” Lin waved at Stephan and in a matter of seconds your brother was gone and you had to face another flight to which you were not looking forward to. Lin apparently felt the same, he sighed as he threw the garment bag over his shoulder, “Let’s do this.”

 

This time around you didn’t let Lin buy another neck pillow, you sensibly packed the two you had bought the day before in your spacious handbag and handed him his as soon as you sat down. In contrast to yesterday you had not trouble falling asleep this time and were woken up by Lin as you touched down in New York. It was pitch black outside and you yawned continuously on your way to one of the cabstands.

“Address?” The driver asked gruffly as you settled in the backseat. Lin gave you a short look before deciding. He told the driver his address, since you did not have to work in the morning it would be easier for your both to sleep at his place. Splitting up was no option for you so you nodded along to what he was saying. During the drive you put your head on Lin’s shoulder and he spent it stroking the back of your hand with his thumb. Time flew by while you went from being awake to nodding off and you were impressed that Lin did not fall asleep. He was probably staying awake to let you sleep in peace.

As you arrived at his apartment complex Lin paid the driver and helped you out of the car.  
“Let’s get inside and into bed alright?” He asked and you nodded.  
“That sounds amazing.”  
You didn’t bother putting away any of the things you had taken with you on the two-day trip and while Lin got ready for bed, you quickly texted your brother to let him know that you had arrived in New York. When Lin stepped into his bedroom you looked up from your phone.

“Do you have anything I can wear to bed?” You asked and remembered the conversation you had in the car yesterday. The fact that he enjoyed seeing you in his clothes. Based on the glint in his tired eyes, he remembered as well but handed you one of his shirts without further comments. You took hold of it and vanished in the bathroom, quickly washing your face and brushing your teeth. You put your hair into a ponytail, put on Lin’s shirt, which actually was a little bit too big on you, and returned to the bedroom.

“Remember that time I gave you a black eye in here?” Lin muttered as you crawled under the covers and you laughed.  
“I do, I tend to remember other things though,” you chuckled and he pulled you into a firm embrace.  
“It’s almost gone. The black eye. Thank god,” Lin’s words were barely audible as he whispered into your hair and you nodded.  
“I don’t have to put on stage makeup to cover it anymore,” you agreed and a low rumble traveled through Lin’s chest.  
“I still feel bad about it,” he mumbled and you turned so that you could look at his face. Or what you could see in the dark.

“Like I said numerous times before, I don’t care. It’s ok, it happened and I am not angry with you. Did it hurt like hell? Oh yes. Did I look like Quasimodo? I guess so. But it’s gone now and it doesn’t change a thing,” you were surprised that you were still able to form coherent sentences at this time of night. You could see that Lin smiled and felt his arm tighten around you. Even though he had indeed given you a black eye in this bed, you felt safe and content in his arms.

“I will continue apologizing for it though, you should get used to it,” he replied after a few seconds and you nodded slowly.  
“That’s what I love about you,” you muttered and closed your eyes. You felt Lin stiffen beneath you and suddenly you were wide awake again.  
“What did you just say?”


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I am sick and have officially been lying in bed for four days now. I never got to finish this chapter, so I tweaked the ending. Hope you still enjoy it! (Since I haven't updated for a while I thought I'd just drop this here) Also, I do have a rough idea of how this will continue, but if you want to see something specific let me know!) :)
> 
> Also, haven't proof-read this... I apologize if there are any big mistakes.

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Maybe if you just pressed your eyes shut he would forget what you said and go to sleep?  
“(Y/N)?” No luck. Lin shifted behind you and you felt him reach over you to turn on the lamp next to the bed. You quickly put your hands over your face, so you wouldn't have to look at him, which made you look like a child.

“(Y/N)?” Did he seriously poke you? You looked at Lin through your fingers, the lamp only gave off dimmed light so most of the room was still dark, which made you feel safer. But only a little bit. Why had you blurted out that sentence? You could feel your face growing hot beneath your hands, had you really told him that you loved something about him? In an “I-love-you” kind of way?

Wasn’t it way too early to say something like that? You tried to listen to your heart, as sappy as it sounded, did you genuinely love him? You did, right? It felt right. It had felt right since you started to actually date. Or were you acting like a teenager? Premature and foolish? Why wasn’t there anyone who told you what to do next?!

Lin cleared his throat again, “Are you having an existential crisis?”  
Nodding, you sighed and let him pull you into a sitting position, reminding you of the day he told you that he wouldn’t mind dropping the farce and becoming an actual couple. You finally managed to look at him, letting your hands fall down into your lap. The dim light made it easier and when your eyes met his, Lin smiled at you in a way that made the skin around his eyes crinkle (and which you really, really liked).

“I might have a crisis right now,” you admitted and he chuckled.  
“Do you want me to help make it better?” Lin offered and even though you didn’t know what he could possibly do, you nodded.  
He took your hands in his and pulled you forward so that you were leaning in his direction. The touch alone made you feel better and you allowed yourself to take a deep breath.

Lin’s hands gave yours a squeeze and before the silence succeeded in stressing you out even more, he let go of one of your hands and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.  
“I love spending time with you,” Lin began and you snorted. You immediately shot him an apologetic look but he took it in stride and waited for you to calm down again.

Afterward, Lin began again.  
“I shall try once more. I’ll tell you what I love about you. First of all, spending time with you. Watching you sleep, even though it makes me sound like that weird vampire in the Twilight movies. Your laugh when I tell weird jokes or simply entertain you with the dumb shit I tend to say on a daily basis. That you make me feel good by walking into a room. The way in which you show me that you care about me, you think you’re sneaky but I am able to see the signs by now.”

You felt your face grow hot again. This was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for you. You could feel Lin’s hands fidgeting, the only sign that he felt nervous too, apart from the way in which his voice sometimes cracked. He wasn’t finished though.

“I love that you inspire me with the silly things you sometimes say, I even added one of them to one of the Disney songs I am writing and that’s really something! So maybe I should say that you inspire me. Well… I love coming home and seeing you. I know that we haven’t been dating for that long but even during the time in which we were still pretending to be in a relationship I felt happy knowing that you were there when I returned from the theater. I love your enthusiasm. I love that you’re so understanding. I love it when you call me out on my BS. There are also so many things about you that I love that I cannot describe. So many things that I still want to discover. Things that you might not even know about yourself.”

He took a deep breath and you smiled at him. Once again he had taken control when you felt unable to do so. Which, in this case, was the best thing ever. Now he had difficulties looking at you, he kept staring at your hands and cleared his throat.  
“I guess, what I’m trying to say is that you basically came into my life out of nowhere. You conquered my heart by being something steady in my frantic lifestyle, you constantly easy my body and mind, and… dear God, let’s hope that I didn’t read that one sentence that made you go into crisis mode the wrong way — I think I love you.”

You could hear a pin drop after Lin’s declaration. The next thing you actually heard was his nervous cough.  
“You really enjoy making me suffer, huh?” Lin finally broke and you couldn’t help but giggle. Instead of saying something in return you almost tackled him and he let out a loud gasp as you landed on top of him. You silenced him by pressing your lips to his, feeling Lin relax underneath you. 

Even though he seemed to enjoy the kiss, Lin quickly freed himself and flipped you over. His hair had once again come loose and you suppressed the urge to let your fingers feel the strands. That obsession had really taken a hold of you. Lin leaned down and let his lips ghost over your cheek.  
“Lin?” You muttered, trying to sound a little bit less breathless than you felt.  
“Yes?” He replied and smiled down at you.

“Thank you. So much for saying these things. I… I don’t know if I can match that kind of speech,” you said and he pulled you up again, letting himself fall against the headboard. Due to the momentum, you collided with his chest but kept your place there. Lin’s hand began playing with your hair.  
“You don’t have to match anything. It would be bad if I wouldn’t be able to put my feelings into words. I try making money with that skill!”  
You felt him chuckle and let your hand wander beneath his shirt. Not in a sexual way, simply to feel comfortable.

“You don’t owe me anything after what I just told you, alright?” Lin muttered above you and you nodded. Still, you wanted to tell him about your feelings, so you tilted your head to look at him. Lin returned the look and gave you a small smile, clearly continuing to be nervous.  
“I love you too,” you simply said and felt your heart swell with joy as you watched the big smile that formed on his face.

“Are you shitting me?” Lin continued grinning and you laughed.  
“Why would I do that?!”  
“I don’t know. Maybe because I don’t know how I could have gotten so lucky? This is insane!”   
Lin’s hand began stroking your back and you turned a bit more, to get a better look at him.  
“You told me you loved me, are you complaining that I am saying it back?”

Lin shrugged, “ I am not complaining. It just feels extremely unreal. No offense.”  
You let your hand wander from underneath his shirt to his jaw, gently caressing the area where it met his neck. Lin relaxed into the touch and you took a deep breath to speak.  
“As I said before, I am not that good with words. But I am not, as you put it, shitting you. I meant what I said. I continue to mean it. To be honest, I am almost afraid of what’s going on. This all happened so fast.”  
Lin nodded, his hand had stopped on your back but it continued to make you feel comfortable.

“It did happen really fast. You said once that me fangirling over you made you feel better and I definitely thought that you were amazing back when we first met. After putting up with the charade for my brother I liked you even more and when we had to part again, I didn’t know if we would be able to spend time together at all, or if you even wanted to see me. It’s easy to not meet up with someone, especially in your work environment. I kind of thanked God for that black eye because it forced you into spending time with me, even if you did it out of guilt. And once you admitted that you liked me too, I was afraid to dive into the whole thing too fast. So… what I am trying to say is that I really do love you. And now I'll stop talking because I feel embarrassed.”

You fell silent and sat up a bit straighter. Lin was still looking at you as if you were a ghost, with a faint smile on his lips.  
“Did I break you? Did I break the great Lin-Manuel Miranda and now every Broadway aficionado will hate me?” You were only half-joking and let out a relieved breath as he moved again.

“I’d say, let’s continue diving into things too quickly. It worked out fine so far, in my humble opinion,” Lin grinned and pulled you towards him, pressing his lips to yours. It felt even better than before and you sighed happily into the kiss, clutching Lin’s shirt between your fingers. Beneath your hand, you could feel his heart beating faster and you subconsciously let your fingers trail circles on Lin’s chest, trying to make him feel relaxed. (not taking into account that your heart was beating as quickly as his)

Lin let go of you, catching his breath and giving you a breathless smile.  
“I would love to continue making out, but I have to get up in,” he checked his phone, “six hours. And I need to sleep. You know it, I know it, the bags under my eyes know it. I am so sorry.”  
You giggled slightly and let him pull you down into a sleeping position, letting your head rest on his chest.  
“Old man,” you muttered and he gave you a light whack with his hand.

“You just declared your love for that certain old man,” Lin replied and you allowed yourself a content smile.  
“I did that, that’s true. Maybe I like old men?”  
“Do you want to make me regret this?” Lin wasn’t serious and you knew it but you still went ahead and tried to reassure him, “I also like your hair. And your brain.”

“Ok, my little zombie, let’s catch some zzzs, alright?” Lin moved a bit to get more comfortable but didn’t let you get out of his embrace. Which you weren’t complaining about. Lin’s hand that wasn’t currently on your back reached for the one you had put on his stomach. He interlaced his fingers with yours, giving your hand a squeeze and you smiled to yourself, finally realizing that the man you loved happened to love you back.  
“Goodnight,” Lin muttered and you shifted a bit, just to get more comfortable.  
“Sleep tight, love you,” you replied and felt him chuckle.  
“Love you too,” was all you were able to make out from the man you were currently lying on before you drifted off to sleep.

 

Lin’s phone alarm made you sit up straight in the bed. It made sense that he would turn up the volume with having returned so late but that also made you wake up in a manner that you really didn’t appreciate. In contrast to you, Lin kept sleeping and you reached over the man to turn off the alarm. He still had plenty of time to get going but after being robbed of your sleep so abruptly, you decided to wake him up.

“Lin? Lin, time to wake up. Double show day,” you whispered and he finally moved, turning away from you. Right, you were in love with a man child. You smiled to yourself, he may be a man child, but you really loved him. And he loved you, which you suddenly remembered. It still felt surreal and if you hadn’t decided to stay off Twitter for a while, you would have announced it to the world. Well, that would probably fall to Lin sooner or later.

“Hey, you have to work today. How about I get some coffee going and you have until then to at least open your eyes?” You asked and only got a quiet grunt in return. Instead of trying to coax him further, you put on your sweater over the shirt Lin had lent you and padded into the kitchen. Making coffee didn’t take long and after putting some sugar into your cup, you walked back into the bedroom, expecting to see Lin sitting up and being more alert than before.

Nothing had happened while you were away and, now impatient, you put down the coffee and shook Lin’s shoulder.   
“Come on,” you muttered and he finally opened his eyes. It took him a second to focus on you.  
“Hey.”  
“It speaks!” You rejoiced and Lin gave you an irritated look.

“I got your coffee. So… can I make you get out of this bed?”  
Lin sat up and groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
“I don’t feel great,” he mumbled and you handed him his coffee cup.  
“After what I told you last night? Rude,” your response made him smile but he quickly groaned again. Did he actually feel sick?

Lin took the cup from your hands and instead of reaching for your own, you kept looking at him.  
“Lin, are you actually feeling ill?” The concern was audible in your voice and Lin shrugged.  
“A little bit. It will go away. Probably.”  
You took the cup from him to put one of your hands on his forehead and the other on your own to compare the temperature. He did feel warmer than you and when he cleared his throat, you didn’t miss the pained expression on his face.

“Lin, I think you have a cold. Can you say something?”  
“No cold will stop me from talking, I will always talk, you’d have to rip the vocal cords from my throat to stop me,” he began his tirade and you quickly put a hand over his mouth, which did stop him.  
“You also sound a bit rough, which… is sexy, but maybe not the best for a two-show day?”

Lin immediately responded when you let him speak again, “No no no. I will be on stage today. People pay a lot of money for this show and the only thing that will get me to not get on that stage is a doctor’s order or my death.”  
Lin’s declaration made you raise an eyebrow. He looked a bit feverish and you decided to look for something that might make him feel better. He had to have some form of medicine somewhere.  
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” you mumbled as you left the room, already worrying about your sick boyfriend.

**Author's Note:**

> Always happy about comments and kudos -- also, thank you for reading this! :)


End file.
